


Sincerely

by Jeiidaan, rynoa29



Series: Lettersverse [1]
Category: Ao no Exorcist | Blue Exorcist
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Childhood, Gen, Konekomaru develops a strange friendship with... a special guest character, Letters, M/M, Papa is great, Slight Crossover with KHR, Suguro and Rin being cute lil shits, eventual slash, lots of fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-10
Updated: 2015-02-16
Packaged: 2018-01-08 04:50:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 46
Words: 129,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1128540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jeiidaan/pseuds/Jeiidaan, https://archiveofourown.org/users/rynoa29/pseuds/rynoa29
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Due to a school assignment, Suguro and Rin get to know each other long before they join True Cross Academy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. April 6, 2000

**Author's Note:**

> So this is a plot we've been wanting to do since forever, and we actually have another Shima/Yukio side in the making as well. Hope you enjoy! Leave us a comment and tell us what you think.

It all started in the beginning of first grade. Every student had written down their names on small cards and handed them into the teacher. 

Rin’s name was messy. He was proud of his regardless because usually you couldn’t read it at all. But he’d concentrated very hard to make sure he could do this right. After all, this was going to be the first step in getting a new friend. He had to make a good impression. 

“Nii-san? Are you almost done?” 

A small voice piped up beside him and Rin turned to smile brightly. 

“Yeah, I think so.” He lifted up the card and showed his brother the messy scrawl. 

“Ah! It looks better than normal!” Yukio seemed impressed and smiled, pushing up the glasses that were too big for his nose. Rin grinned proudly and stood up to run and hand it in to the teacher. 

All the cards were put in a box and that box, the teacher explained to them, was going to be mailed to an entirely different school all the way in Kyoto. In return, they were going to receive a box full of names too. 

Then they’d all get a name from the box and, for the rest of the year, they’d have a pen pal. 

Rin was excited. He didn’t make friends easily because he accidentally hurt people all the time. But with a friend all the way in Kyoto, there was no way he could hurt them! It was perfect. He’d finally have a friend. He came into school every day from then on, asking the teacher if they had the box from Kyoto yet. The answer was always no until a week later. 

“Is it here yet, Sensei!?” Rin ran into the room with bright and hopeful eyes. The teacher smiled and patted a box on her desk. 

“Right here, Rin-kun. It came in the mail last night!” she said. Rin’s eyes widened with wonder and he jumped up and down excitedly. 

The teacher ushered all of them to sit down and one by one, she walked around, handing each of them a card. 

“Sugu…ro…” Rin read each character out loud, squinting his eyes. “R… Sensei!” He showed the card to his teacher when he couldn’t make out the second name. The teacher looked at it and smiled. 

“Ryuuji. Suguro Ryuuji,” she said.

“Suguro Ryuuji!” Rin repeated happily. He looked at Yukio’s card and attempted to read that out as well. “Shi…ma…Ren…zou… Ah, Yukio, you’re lucky! Yours is easier to read!” He huffed. 

Yukio smiled and pushed up his glasses. “It’s kinda messy but I can read it too.” 

Rin looked at Yukio’s card again, noticing the pretty average handwriting. He then looked at his own card in greater detail. 

The handwriting was really nice. Almost perfect. It looked like the handwriting in their school books. Rin wondered, for a moment, if maybe Ryuuji would be impressed by his own handwriting just as Rin was impressed with his.


	2. April 10, 2000

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Okumura twins were born in 1993, making them 6 at the moment since their birthday is in December. The Kyoto trio are also 6 at the moment. They are all in their first year of elementary school.

Ryuuji frowned at the card in his hands. The name  _Okumura Rin_ had been written somewhat messily on it. If he hadn't already been used to reading Renzou's own messy handwriting, he would've had a hard time deciphering this. He wasn't very pleased with this fact. After all, he was going to have to exchange letters with this person for an entire year. He hoped this Rin had been just having an off day, otherwise…

"Who'd ya get, Bon?"

Renzou seemed more interested in this fact than in his own card, which he hadn't even picked up off his desk yet. Instead, he was peeking over Ryuuji's shoulder and reading the card that was in his friend's hands.

Ryuuji instinctively hid the card away.

"Hey! Don't call me that while we're in class!" he hissed for the fourth time that day, embarrassed.

Renzou ignored him. He was spelling out the name he'd briefly seen aloud. "…Okumura Rin?"

His eyebrows furrowed briefly, but when he spoke next, his voice had gained a tinge of excitement. "Ooooh, Bon! You've gotta girl! I wonder who I've got!"

Clearly more excited about all of this than he had been before, Renzou quickly picked up his card with sticky fingers. A large food stain blurred out the last characters on the card, but Renzou didn't care much. His eyes were stuck on the pretty, beautifully written name instead. "Mine says Okumura Yuki-something!" Renzou grinned widely. "Think they're sisters?"

Ryuuji shrugged. "Dunno," he said before turning to Konekomaru.

"What's yours?" he asked.

Konekomaru hesitantly showed them his card.

"Kumo… what?" Renzou wasn't familiar with the characters.

"It says Hibari Kyouya, ya moron," Ryuuji muttered.

Rendon stuck out his tongue. "Whatever, know-it-all. Anyway, that's a pretty funny name, don't ya think?"

"It sounds kinda nice..." Konekomaru said as he glanced back down at his card.

Renzou scrunched his nose, but before he could add another comment in, their teacher spoke, cutting off all types of conversation.

"Alright, class. We'll use the next couple of minutes to compose our first letter. You don't have to write too long. This is just a letter of introduction," he explained. "I'll write an easy example you all can follow, but you don't have to copy me, alright?"

Their teacher began writing on the board. Ryuuji observed him intently and followed his exact example.

_Dear Rin,_

_Hello, how are you doing?_

_I am doing well. Lately, we've been learning a lot of interesting stuff in school. It's been fun._

_Sensei said it was a good idea to talk about the things that we like. Well, I like my family and my friends. We all live together at my temple. It's really the best. My most favorite thing to do is listen to my pop's chanting._

_What kinda things do you like to do?_

_I hope this letter finds you well, and look forward to hearing from you._

_Sincerely,_

_Suguro Ryuuji_

After putting his pencil down, Ryuuji stared at his letter with an intent frown. He compared his letter with their teacher's example before nodding with a satisfied expression on his face.

"Sensei! I finished!" He raised his hand.

"Good job, Ryuuji-kun. Anyone else?"

About half of the class also raised their hands.

Ryuuji glanced back over his shoulder and looked at how Renzou was doing. He rolled his eyes as he spotted a few heart doodles on the paper, but he said nothing. He turned forward again and looked back at his letter. A smile crossed his lips for a second. He wasn't really into this whole thing originally, but he was getting a little interested in it. He wondered what this Rin person would say in reply.


	3. April 13, 2000

Rin could barely contain his excited shriek when the teacher told them that their letters had arrived. 

“I’ll help you all write your first response, but from now on, you’ll be sending these letters to your friend’s houses.” The teacher walked around handing each of them their perspective letters. Rin ripped open his the moment he got it and opened the letter to quickly read. Yukio was a bit neater with the way he opened his but there was still an excited tremor in his fingers. 

Rin had a bit of trouble reading through the letter but once he got through it, he was smiling. Ryuuji sounded like a really interesting guy but he did wonder what “chanting” meant. He asked his teacher but his teacher told him that it was better to ask Ryuuji instead. It would give them something to talk about. Rin’s eyes widened with understanding as he grabbed his pencil and a piece of paper and started to write his own letter, only half listening to the teacher as she explained how to do it. 

 _Dear Ryuuji,_

_You live at a temple? That’s cool! My pops is a priest so me and my brother live at a monastery. Is that kind of the same as a temple? I saw a temple once when Yukio and I were little but it was really tiny and I don’t think people can live in it. Do you live in a really tiny temple?_

_What is chanting? I don’t know what that is. My teacher said I should ask you. I think it sounds like a really cool word. Is it like music since you listen to it?_

_My favorite thing to do is cooking! I’m getting better and my pops bought me cooking books to help me learn and so far things are going really great! My food used to taste really bad in the beginning and people spit it out but now everyone is happy when they eat so it makes me happy too! My favorite food is sukiyaki! What’s yours?_  

Rin stared at his letter for a moment, a proud smile on his face as he wondered how exactly to end it. He was already looking forward to Ryuuji’s reply. He looked back at Ryuuji’s letter and decided to copy his ending, finding it nice. 

 _I hope this letter finds you well, and look forward to hearing from you._

_Sincerely,_

_Okumura Rin_

Rin looked over at Yukio’s letter and tilted his head a bit. 

“Why’s yours got hearts all over it?”


	4. April 17, 2000

After Ryuuji finished reading the letter in his hand, he set it down and got out another piece of paper. As he thought about how to write his response, he heard Renzou whining in the back.

"I've been tricked!" he cried out.

Konekomaru leaned over his desk to see what Renzou was protesting about. "What's wrong?" he asked.

Ryuuji already had a pretty good idea over what their friend's issue was, having gotten a clue from his own letter.

"It's not fair! Bon, trade with me!"

"No way," Ryuuji replied without taking his eyes off Rin's letter. A slight frown formed on his face as he reread it.

 _She's kinda weird,_ he thought as he took note of the way the letter had been written in. It was a bit rougher than the example their teacher had shown them, and her handwriting wasn't the best either, but the response was easy to read and enthusiastic. He ignored the fact that Renzou was trying to read over his shoulder and began to write out his own response.

_Dear Rin,_

_Thank you for your letter._

_About your questions, first, I think the tiny temple you are talking about is a shrine. In those places, you pay your respects to the gods that live there. The temple that I live in is pretty big, and not at all like shrines. Maybe you can get your teacher to show you a picture. I imagine it's kind of like the monastery you live in. I haven't seen too many of those around here though. Are they nice? What kind of stuff do you do there?_

_Chanting is when you memorize a long sentence and repeat it over and over again. It is a little like singing, or like a prayer. Kinda like both actually. I'm going to become the head monk at my temple when I grow up, so I'm trying to learn all kinds of chants._

_I don't really have a favorite food. Anything that my mom makes is good. I think it's cool that you've learned how to cook. I'm sure you will continue to get better with more practice, so do your best._

_I hope this letter finds you well, and look forward to hearing from you._

_Sincerely,_

_Suguro Ryuuji_

"Sheesh! What's with this boring reply?"

"Shima…!" Ryuuji growled and tried to take back the letter his childhood friend had snatched away. "Give it back!"

"It's just for a second, hold on." Without asking for permission, he showed the letter to Konekomaru. The young boy bit his lip in that usual, telling way of him that had Ryuuji groaning.

"What's wrong with my letter?" he complained.

"It's stiff, dude. Way too stiff. You sound like an old man! And where're the compliments? Ask a little bit more about her! You're wastin' a golden opportunity here, Bon!" Renzou protested.

Ryuuji snatched back his letter. "What did I tell ya about callin' me that?" he muttered.

He glanced back down at his letter. It looked fine to him. He didn't know what they were complaining about.

When no one was looking, he added one last line right before his closing remark.

_Food aside, what is your favorite thing in world?_


	5. April 20, 2000

"Papa, Yukio, look! They're here! They're here!" Rin shouted enthusiastically as he carried in the letters that belonged to both Yukio and him.

"Oh, would you look at that." Shiro leaned down and took the envelopes to look them over. "Already so grown up and getting mail. Is this the Ryuuji you told me about, Rin?"

"Yeah!" Rin grinned before reaching up and opening his hands. "Now give it! I have to read it! It's an important letter from a friend!"

"Alright, alright." Shiro smiled as Yukio too held out his hands, rejoicing over Renzou's reply. The two boys took their letters to their room and while Rin decided to lie on the floor to read his, Yukio sat in a chair.

"Ah, Ryuuji is really smart!" Rin gasped, his legs kicking above him as he read. He looked around and quickly got a paper and pencil before thumping back down onto the floor to write his reply as quick as he could. But before he started, he realized he was missing something. "Papa!" He grabbed the letter and his blank paper before running out of the room. "Papa, show me a picture of a temple!"

_Dear Ryuuji,_

_I asked my pops to show me a picture of a temple and it looks super cool! It does sort of look like the monastery so maybe it looks the same inside! We do all kinds of stuff. Papa helps out a lot of people who come and ask for advice and he also does confession for those people too. Everyone says he's really great and I think so too! My pops is the coolest! I usually play with my brother, Yukio, though. He's writing letters too! Do you know someone named Renzou? Yukio really likes writing letters to him! We were really excited when the letters came in today!_

_Chanting kind of sounds like the hymns they sing here. Sometimes they have meetings on Sundays. Papa calls them services and they sing a lot but all the songs are sort of boring and I don't really understand them. But it sounds nice to listen to sometimes._

_I think your dream is really cool! I don't know what my dream is yet. All I know is that I want to do my best to help my little brother!_

_My favorite thing in the world is my family! Is that a good answer? Well it's true! My little brother Yukio is the best and Papa is the best! We have lots of fun together all the time and I hope we can always be together! What's your favorite thing in the world?_

_I hope this letter finds you well, and look forward to hearing from you._

_Sincerely,_

_Rin_

Rin left it as just his first name, not really wanting to keep writing out Okumura every time. Ryuuji already knew his last name so it wasn't a big deal, right? Though as he stared at the letter more, he decided to add something at the end.

_P.S. What's sincerely?_


	6. April 24, 2000

"—thank you, Ryuuji. Now why don't you go find Renzou and Neko-chan and play with them until dinner?"

"'kay! Sure ya don't need any more help, Ma?" Ryuuji asked, not moving from his spot as he looked at her expectantly.

"I'm good for now. Oh! But before I forget, here you go, dear. These came in the mail for the three of you." Ryuuji's mom reached into her pocket and handed him three letters. The young boy immediately recognized them. A spark of excitement lit in his eyes.

"They're here!" he said with a wide grin on his face.

Ryuuji's mom was a little surprised at his reaction, but she soon smiled. "Is this that school project you were telling me about?"

"Yeah!" Ryuuji stuffed the other two letters in his pocket and seemed eager to open his. He glanced up at his mom.

"You can go. But don't forget to give those two their letters too!"

"I will!"

When Ryuuji got to his room, he promptly took out the letter and began to read it. When he was done, he quickly began to write out a reply.

_Dear Rin,_

_Thank you for your letter._

_Monasteries sound interesting. I found a couple of books here that talked about them. I think I'd like to visit one someday to see it with my own eyes. About your question, I do know Renzou. He's one of my friends. He and Konekomaru live with me at my temple. I don't have any siblings like you, but they're kinda like my brothers._

Ryuuji's face heated up at his bold words. He was glad neither of his friends was around to see him.

_What kind of person is your brother? Renzou hasn't said much to me. Is he being nice to your brother? Tell me if he's not and I'll tell him off for ya._

Ryuuji paused again in his letter as he thought about the last two questions. He wasn't sure what to say in reply. He had already mentioned he liked hearing his dad's chants, but that was more of a thing he liked doing, right?

After thinking about it a little bit more, he wrote:

_My most favorite thing in the world is also my family. I like seeing everyone who lives at my temple happy. Due to a lot of reasons, some people have begun to go away. It's a little lonely. Everyone is really worried about it, and I wish I could do something to help. That's why I'm doing my best to become the head monk._

_The word "sincerely" is just a word that you use at the end of a letter. It kinda means that you're being really truthful or that you really meant every word you wrote. It's kinda hard to explain, but I hope I was able to._

_I hope this letter finds you well, and look forward to hearing from you._

_Sincerely,_

_Ryuuji_


	7. April 27, 2000

_Dear Ryuuji,_

_That's really cool! Having a dream like that. I think maybe I want to be a cook because it's what I'm good at and it makes people happy! My brother is really cute. He wants to be a doctor and he already knows how to put bandaids on and everything! I always mess it up and rip it wrong or something. But Yukio knows how to do it so he helps me when I get hurt when Papa isn't around. He's gonna be a great doctor!_

_Yukio likes writing to Renzou so I think they're getting along! He's keeping all of Renzou's letters in a box. Papa gave us one each so we can keep it for memories. My box is under my bed and Yukio keeps his box on his desk._

"Rin!"

Rin looked up as one of the priests called for him, entering his room. "You're going to be late for school if you don't hurry! Yukio is waiting for you!"

"Oh! Okay!" Rin smiled brightly and turned back to the letter.

_I have to go to school now so I'll finish the letter when I get back home!_

Rin grabbed his bag and folded up the letter, leaving it on the desk, before he ran out the door.

However, Rin didn't get home until much later. There were tears in his eyes and the shouts of ' _demon child!'_  still rang in his ears. He sniffled and buried his face in his pillow, recalling the memory of his father getting carried away in an ambulance, laughing even though Rin could see the pain on his face.

"Nii-san…?" Rin felt a small hand on his back and looked up to Yukio's concerned expression.

"Sorry… Yukio." He rubbed his eyes fiercely and tried not to think of their dad. He plastered on a large smile. "Just kidding, okay? I'm okay! I was just wondering if you were gonna ask! Are you okay, Yukio?"

Yukio seemed momentarily relieved but the concern didn't leave his face. "Yeah, I'm okay. Papa said he'll be coming home tomorrow, so don't cry, Nii-san."

"I'm not crying!" Rin wiped his face and sat up, lifting his chin haughtily. "I'm tough and tough boys don't cry, right? You're a tough boy too, Yukio, but I'll protect you anyways."

Yukio smiled and nodded. "Thanks, Nii-san!"

The two brothers sat together for a long while before Yukio fell asleep on Rin's bed. Rin took off his glasses and put them on Yukio's desk before he spotted his half-finished letter on his own. He looked at the time. It was late. But he wanted to write to Ryuuji. He had to be happy for his brother but maybe he could be truthful to him.

_I'm home now. My Papa went to the hospital today because of me. Some kid was bullying Yukio so I hit him but I hit him too hard._

Rin wiped his face aggressively as tears began forming in his eyes at the memories.

_They called me a monster and a demon and I got really angry and I hurt people. I hurt my pops really bad too but he said he did it on purpose. I know he's lying and I feel really bad. He's coming home tomorrow and I'm gonna cook him something really good to say sorry. I'm going to do my best to be better from now on and be nicer. I don't know what I'll do if anyone starts to bully Yukio again but maybe they're scared of me too so they'll stop._

_I like the word sincerely because I want to talk the truth to you. You're my only friend now because everyone else thinks I'm a demon. I still have Yukio but I hope Papa doesn't hate me. Do you hate me? I hope not. I like being friends with you and I'm going to try not to hurt anyone anymore. Papa said I had to use my strength for a gentler purpose so that's what I'm going to do._

_I hope this letter finds you well, and look forward to hearing from you._

_Sincerely,_

_Rin_


	8. May 1, 2000

"Shima! Shima!"

Ryuuji had been reading his latest letter in his room, but once he reached the end of it, the smile that had been on his face had faded, replaced by a troubled frown.

Now, he was running around the temple looking for Renzou. It didn't take too long to find him. The usually carefree boy was by the lake, reading a letter of his own with a serious expression on his face. He didn't look very surprised to see him.

"What did yours say?" Ryuuji demanded to know as soon as he was near.

Strangely, Renzou clutched onto his letter to his chest protectively.

"What's yours say?" he shot back.

"You know already, right? Their dad got hurt. I don't really get why, just that Rin was trying to protect her brother from some bullies."

A strange expression crossed Shima's face but Ryuuji took no note of it.

"Yeah, that's right." Renzou nodded after a second. "Yukio said he was worried about them both. He said he saw Rin crying, but Rin kept tryin' to pretend nothin' was wrong…" he muttered, a little uncomfortably. "Seems like it ain't the first time it's happened either, but things were kinda worse than usual this time."

"I see…" Ryuuji looked down at his feet. Frustration welled up inside of him from the tip of his toes, all the way up to the roots of his hair. His fists clenched tightly at his sides.

"People are awful. Rin was just trying to protect her brother… That's no reason to be called a demon!" he shouted, glaring holes into the ground.

"Bon…"

When Ryuuji penned his reply this time, there was a determined look on his face. He carefully wrote out each word.

_Dear Rin,_

_How are you doing? I hope that by the time this letter gets to you, things have gotten better._

_I'm sorry to hear about what happened. I hope your dad gets well soon._

_More importantly, I hope you are okay too. I know how awful it is to get called names. It's hard, but you shouldn't listen to what those people are saying. I might not know all the details, but I know enough to realize that you did what you did for a good reason. You're a great big sister. I would've hit them too. I have a bad temper but Konekomaru and Shima hold me back and stop me from fighting when that happens (unless it's Shima that I get mad at)._

_Don't worry about your dad. He sounds like a good guy. I'm sure he'll forgive you, especially since you didn't mean to hurt him. There's no way he would hate you._

_I don't hate you either and I don't think you're a demon. I haven't thrown away any of your letters, ya know. I always keep them safe because I consider you a friend too._

_I hope this letter finds you well, and please, take good care of yourself._

_Sincerely,_

_Your friend, Ryuuji_


	9. May 8, 2000

"HE THINKS I'M A GIRL!" Rin shouted indignantly.

Shiro started laughing immediately, holding his sides as Rin shouted protests at him, red in the face.

"DON'T LAUGH! THIS IS YOUR FAULT! YOU GAVE ME A GIRLY NAME!" were among the shouts he cried out. The three of them were sitting on Shiro's bed. It had been about a week since he had come home from the hospital and Rin had apologized with a big meal. Shiro had, of course, forgiven him, but he had been told to take it easy for a while. Since then, the three of them had taken their meals on Shiro's bed and done their homework there too.

Yukio was giggling from their father's other side and Rin looked at him, distraught.

"Not you too, Yukio!" He kicked his legs into the mattress and huffed.

"Alright, alright." Shiro grinned and placed his hand on Rin's head. "Just correct him and I'm sure he'll apologize. It's just a misunderstanding."

"Fine." Rin grumbled and pulled over a book to place on his lap, then a paper and pencil to get started. Yukio was already writing his response to Shima.

_Dear Ryuuji,_

_I'M NOT A GIRL! I'm Yukio's BROTHER!_

_Besides that, things are getting better. Papa's home from the hospital but he has to stay in bed a lot so me and Yukio are in bed with him a lot so he's not alone. I made him a big beef stew. It was my first time but it came out alright. I think I can do better next time._

_I think it's cool to have two friends like brothers like that. Yukio is smaller than me and I'm stronger than him so he can't do that. But I just do my best to protect him. People still call me demon. I tell them to stop but nobody listens. Yukio cried because of it. I'll never forgive them for making Yukio cry!_

_If you know what it's like, do you get called names too? You seem like you're really cool and smart so I don't get why people would call you names._

_I'm glad you're still my friend. I like these letters and I like you and I think you're awesome! Thank you for being my friend._

_I hope this letter finds you well, and look forward to hearing from you._

_Sincerely,_

_Your friend who is a BOY, Rin_


	10. May 11, 2000

"YOU KNEW!"

Ryuuji launched himself at Renzou, but Renzou quickly dodged and began to run away, snickering the entire time.

"Bon... please calm down," Konekomaru pleaded, looking between the two boys with a slight frown on his lips.

"Yeah, listen to Koneko-san, Bon! It's no biggie, right?" Renzou said, looking over his shoulder with a mischievous grin.

Ryuuji growled. "Wrong! You shoulda told me! Argh! Stay still!"

"As if!" Renzou began to run faster. They raced around the big oak tree and Ryuuji didn't stop chasing the other until Konekomaru, who had been watching their fight silently, finally intervened. The younger boy screwed his eyes shut and yelled their names. The unexpectedly raised voice stopped the two in their tracks.

"Quit fighting!" Konekomaru told them, the troubled expression on his face tugging at Ryuuji's heartstrings. His pride, on the other hand, was unmoved. 

"Why'd I gotta apologize?!" he demanded.

"Just apologize and let it go, Bon. It's... It's not entirely Shima-san's fault, is it? You're just picking on him 'cause you're embarrassed..."

"Yeah, yeah!" Renzou nodded vigorously at Konekomaru's words.

"Shima-san isn't without fault though. You should've corrected Bon once you knew Rin-kun was a boy."

Shima withered under Konekomaru's disapproving stare.

Ryuuji shot a heated glare at them both.

"You guys are the worst," he muttered, embarrassed. He stared at the letter in his hand with a well-lit blush on his face until he could muster up the strength to write down a reply.

_Dear Rin,_

_I am really, really sorry for calling ya a girl! This is mostly my fault but Shima's to blame too. He thought Yukio was a girl at first 'cause he dirtied the last character of his name when we got the cards, and so he thought the two of ya were sisters. Pretty sure he's known you were a boy for a while now, but he didn't tell me to mess with me. I'm really sorry about that!_

_Glad to hear your dad's doing alright though. I'm sure he loved your food too. Can't believe you can cook so many different things already. I'd like to try some one day if possible._

_I also wish I could make the people around you stop saying those awful things. People are stupid. Around here, I get called names too because my temple has a bad history. Something bad happened a few years ago, so now they think it's cursed. That's why I get called "the child of the cursed temple." I hate it, but I do my best to ignore it. My pops always tells me I shouldn't let it get to me, and being around Shima and Konekomaru helps. I think it's gonna be a little easier now too since I can talk to you about it. Let's do our best together and ignore it, okay?_

_I'm glad I met you and that I can be your friend. I think you're awesome too. If you need any help with anything, tell me, okay? Don't hold anything back. I'm always here to listen._

_Hope this letter finds you well, and that I hear from you soon._

_Sincerely,_

_Your friend, Ryuuji_


	11. May 15, 2000

“No wonder there were so many hearts…” Yukio blinked as Rin revealed that they both got mistaken for girls. “I just thought he liked pink!”

Rin sniggered into his rice. Ryuuji's latest letter was sitting beside his food on the table as they all ate together. He was really thinking about it. To think that Ryuuji got bullied too because of something he couldn't control… And he probably got bullied by grown-ups too. He couldn't help but open the letter in his lap again even though the priests had warned him that he'd get it dirty with food. But he read it again because there was one sentence that really stuck out to him.

"Papa?" Rin placed the letter back down and looked up.

"What is it, Rin?" Shiro swallowed a bite of fish.

"Can you send food through the mail?"

"Hmm." Shiro put down his fork. "Well, you can send something that won't go bad very easily. Like cookies, breads, or snacks. I'll help you find a good box for it. Is that for Ryuuji-kun?"

Rin smiled and nodded. "Yeah!"

Shiro grinned proudly. "Well then, I'll help you pick something out."

_Dear Ryuuji,_

_It's okay! I forgive you. Not much you can do about it since we can't see each other's faces. I know my name is kinda girly so I don't blame you. I'm sorry you get bullied too. But at the same time I'm kind of happy because I know we're not alone and we can do this together! Is that bad? I wish we were both not bullied though. Especially because you didn't even do anything. People are stupid sometimes._

_You said you wanted to try my food so here it is! I made some cookies because Papa said they wouldn't go bad in the mail. I hope they didn't break too much. I made enough so that you can share with your friends! Food is meant to be shared! Don't be greedy and keep it all to yourself, okay? I hope you like them!_

_You're a great friend and if Shima and Konekomaru aren't there, you can always write super long letters to me. Your handwriting is really nice so it's easy to read but sometimes your words are too big. But I'm learning a lot more words when I write with you! Papa said you're a good influenz. I don't know what that means but it's good, right?_

_Maybe one day we can play together. I think that would be fun. Sometimes when Papa takes me and my brother to the playground near our monastery, I imagine you're there with us. Do you have a playground? I like playing on the swing set most of all!_

_I hope this letter finds you well, and I hope to hear from you soon!_

_Sincerely,_

_Your friend, Rin_


	12. May 18, 2000

When their letters arrived this time, they were all surprised to see the box that came along with them.

"Who's it for?"

"What is it?"

The three of them peered at the letter that had been attached to the top of the box. Ryuuji's eyes quickly lit up in recognition.

"It's from Rin!" he said with excitement.

Though Ryuuji usually preferred to read Rin's letters when he was alone, he quickly opened the envelope this time. "Hold on a sec!" he said and quietly began to read the letter.

Renzou and Konekomaru grabbed their own letters, but they were looking at Ryuuji expectantly, waiting. They watched as Ryuuji's mouth fell open in surprise.

"No way… He sent us cookies!"

"Really?!"

Within seconds, the three of them had opened the box. Inside, around a dozen cookies or more were piled up on top of each other. Ryuuji's mouth watered at the sweet scent that drifted from the box. They all stared at the cookies with awe.

 _Thanks, Rin…_ Ryuuji thought happily. They all began to gobble down the treats.

"These are so good…!"

"They really are," Konekomaru agreed with a pleased smile.

"He's really good at cookin'," Ryuuji said with a proud nod. "Even though we're the same age, Rin can already make all kinds of food."

"Heh. Ya sure he's not actually a girl? There's no way a guy can cook this good," Renzou said with a teasing grin.

Ryuuji didn't rise to the bait. Instead, his lips twisted into a small, evil grin. "I'll be sure to tell 'im your thoughts. I'm sure Rin will be eager to send ya another batch."

Renzou's face paled.

"I was just kiddin'! Kiddin'!"

_Dear Rin,_

_Thank you for the cookies! They were really delicious. Konekomaru and Shima send their thanks too. We don't usually eat many sweets around here, so we were really happy and finished 'em quickly. Thanks, seriously. I wish I could send ya somethin' back in return, but there's nothing really that I can aside from this letter. I'll make it up to you next time I can._

_I also hope that one day we can play together. There's not a playground around here, unless you count the one at the school. There's a lot of fields near the temple though. We usually sneak around in there and snatch away a couple of fruits and veggies from there. Sometimes we eat them, but a lot of the time I offer my share to Buddha. I'm not supposed to sneak in while my pops is prayin' to him, but he doesn't really mind so I keep doin' it._

_I like writing to you too. I think about ya a lot when it gets lonely around here. I think you're a good influence on me too, because when I think about you, I try to not lose my temper too much since we promised we were gonna do our best together. That's what it means, if you didn't find out yet._

_Hope this letter finds you well, and that I hear from you soon._

_Sincerely,_

_Your friend, Ryuuji_

After he finished writing that, Ryuuji frowned for a long second. There was a small crease between his eyebrows as he stared intently at the letter. Then, ignoring the slight flush spreading across his cheeks, he quickly came to a decision and doodled a small drawing onto the paper. It was a caricature version of him, Renzou and Konekomaru. They were all grinning and had tiny crumbs on their faces. Ryuuji wrote a large " _THANKS"_ on top of the drawing and then quickly stuffed the letter into the envelope before he could rethink it.


	13. May 22, 2000

Rin was practically bouncing all over the monastery, showing anyone who would listen the drawing that Ryuuji placed at the bottom of the letter. It was the first time a friend had given him anything and a drawing saying thank you with big smiles was more than perfect. His body was practically vibrating with happiness.

"They liked them!" he announced proudly.

"Good job, Rin!" Shiro laughed and ruffled his hair. "Of course they'd like them. Your cooking is like no other, you know?"

Rin flushed, obviously pleased, as he wiggled on the spot, hugging the letter to his chest.

"Yeah!"

_Dear Ryuuji,_

_I'm so happy you liked the cookies! It made me very happy! And I really love your drawing!! I showed it to everyone in the monastery and they all said that you are a really good artist! Are you the one in the middle? Which one is Konekomaru and which one is Shima?_

_That's cool! It's like a farm! We have a little garden in the back of the monastery but it's not big. We mostly just have flowers and some other herbs there that Papa uses to burn for incense. He says that it keeps the monastery clean from evil and monsters so that it can stay a holy place of God. Is God like Boddha? We pray to God too. I think your life is really interesting!_

_I think about you a lot too! There was a kid who started calling me a demon today but before I hit him, I thought about you. So I didn't hit him or anything. That's good, right?_

"Rin! Don't forget!" Yukio looked up from writing his own letter and lifted a small handmade blue and pink bracelet.

"Ah! Thanks for remindin' me!" Rin smacked his forehead and hurried to his bag. He pulled out a crudely made bracelet made from string. It was yellow and blue and would fit perfectly around a child's wrist. He hurried back to his desk, sat down, and continued writing.

_At school today, we made friendship bracelets. Our teacher said to give it to our best friends and you're my best friend so I wanted to give it to you! Yukio is also sending his to Shima because he said the same thing. We don't have a lot of friends in school and you guys matter most to us anyway! So please take it! I hope it fits! I had to use my own wrist to measure since I didn't know yours._

_Hope this letter finds you well, and look forward to hearing from you!_

_Sincerely,_

_Your friend, Rin_


	14. May 25, 2000

_"I'm going to leave the Myou Dha…!"_

Those words still echoed in Ryuuji's head. Even now as he lay in the darkness of his room, he couldn't forget the tone they had been said in, the determination behind them. If Juuzou hadn't intervened…

The frustration in Ryuuji's gut grew.

He turned on his side and tried to calm himself by reciting sutras in his head. Yet, the more he tried to distract himself by doing so, the more thoughts of his father ruined his progress. Ryuuji was… infuriated at him. Disappointed too. Confused. His head throbbed the more he thought about it and he clenched his eyes shut tightly tried to will his frustration away. His head continued to throb painfully, and Ryuuji felt a sharp, wet sting in his eyes that made him bite his lip roughly.

The frustration inside of him felt too big to handle in his tiny little body. He felt lonely too, and guilt dwelled heavily in his heart as he thought of Shima and Konekomaru, whom he'd run away from to come sulk in his room. He'd have to apologize to them. Soon. But he didn't want to see anyone just yet, not when he was feeling so miserable.

He turned on his side again. Through the darkness of his room, he caught sight of the faint outline of his desk, and then the pile of letters that were neatly stacked on top of it. They were Rin's letters. Ryuuji had been rereading them just this morning.

He'd gotten a new one this afternoon, he remembered now. He'd stuffed it in his pocket and had been about to run off to read it when he'd overheard that awful argument.

Ryuuji bit his lip, pushed the memory away, and gingerly sat up. He took out the letter in his pocket and then turned on the small lamp next to his futon. The light made him wince a little but he forced himself to ignore the pain, wiped his face roughly with his sleeve, and began to read the letter.

When he was done, a light spark of happiness burst from his chest, and it spread, relieving some of the distress that had been weighing him down. Emptying the remaining contents of the envelope revealed the bracelet Rin had set him. Ryuuji's fingers closed tightly around it for a moment. A few seconds later, the bracelet was snugly wound around his wrist.

_Dear Rin,_

_Thank you._

_The bracelet fit me just fine. I put it on right away. Really… thanks._

_To tell ya the truth, I'm having a hard time writin' this letter. Today... More followers from my temple tried to leave. It's frustrating. Everything is all just really frustrating. I'm doin' my best here, but time's just going by too slowly. I can't do anything at all to help. My pop's... isn't makin' things easier either. He's being secretive and I hate it. Every time I try to talk to him about it, he changes the subject and tries to distract me. That ain't any better than lyin', and I hate lyin'. We're not supposed to, ya know. It goes against our teachings._

_…I'm sorry if I'm gettin' too serious here._

_I'm just… afraid. Aren't we supposed to be like family? Every time someone leaves, it gets lonelier around here. I'm always afraid that one day, Shima and Koneko will leave too... Things are changin' around here though. We're merging with another..._

Ryuuji paused for a second, wondering how to explain the True Cross Order. He didn't know much about this organization yet. He decided to find out more about it before he could tell Rin.

_...with another organization, so things should be better from now on, I hope._

_To answer your questions, no, God isn't like Buddha. Not sure what religion your monastery studies under, but Buddhism is more than just a religion. It's a way of life. We don't believe in any gods. Instead, we follow Buddha's teachings. He was just a man like us, so we don't worship him like a god or pray to him like that. We pay him our respects though as thanks for teachin' us the path to enlightenment._

_Not sure if this is all going over your head or not. Sorry if I'm rambling._

_About the picture, glad you liked it. I'm the one in the middle. Shima's the one with the stupid expression, and Konekomaru's the one with the short hair. He had to shave it off recently because Shima accidentally got gum on his hair. (We both got him back for that, don't worry.)_

_What do you and your brother look like anyway?_

_Hope this letter finds you well, and that I hear from you soon._

_Sincerely,_

_~~Your friend~~ _

_Your best friend, Ryuuji_

_P.S. I'm glad you didn't hurt anyone._


	15. May 29, 2000

Rin sat in the corner of the chapel, a somber look on his face as he read Ryuuji’s letter. He looked like he was going through some hard times. He didn’t know what he’d do if the priests started leaving the monastery one by one like that. They were like his family. What could he say? How could he make it better? Just knowing that his friend, no, his best friend was hurting like this and there was nothing he could do…

He rubbed his eyes quickly and took a deep breath. He couldn’t cry. He needed to be strong for his friend. He had to make believe like Ryuuji was there and he had to be good. He could help him somehow, right? Even if it was just a letter. Papa told him once about how talking and just saying the right words can make people feel better.

So that’s what he’d do. He’d say the right words.

But what were the right words? Worry nipped at the back of his neck again and he stood up, dragging his feet as he walked to the kitchen.

“Oi, Rin. What’s with the long face?” Shiro was sitting at the table with a newspaper and Rin sighed.

“It’s Ryuuji,” he admitted. “Monks are leaving his temple and he’s really sad about it and I don’t know what to tell him so he can feel better.” He looked up at his father hopefully. “What should I say, Papa?”

Shiro sighed and smiled a bit. He pushed his chair back and patted his lap. Rin immediately ran up and sat on his knee. “Let me see.” He took the letter from Rin and read over it before offering it back to him again. “Well, Rin. That’s not something I can tell you.”

Rin looked discouraged as he looked down at the letter.

“But...”

Rin looked up at his father again. Shiro was smiling.

“The right words are right here.” Shiro pointed to Rin’s chest and it took a moment before he looked up from his finger.

“My heart?” Rin whispered.

“Yeah.” The priest grinned. “Ryuuji-kun is your friend, right?” Rin nodded vigorously. “Then write whatever comes to your heart. And even if you can’t be there right next to him, your feelings will reach him. It’ll be like having you right there beside him.”

“My heart…” Rin said again, placing his own small hand over his heart. He could feel it thumping under his skin. Honest words from the heart.

He could do that.

_Dear Ryuuji,_

_It’s okay. You can talk to me about anything and I’ll be here for you. Even if I can’t be there in person. Sometimes I get frustrated because we can’t be together and we’re so far away. If I was there I would give you a big hug and we could eat really good food and go play so you don’t have to be sad or lonely anymore._

_I know how you feel. The priests here are sorta like my family too. I don’t know what I’d do if they started leaving. I think I would feel frustrated too. I’m sorry I can’t really help but maybe with this new organization thing, people will stay. As long as it helps, it’s okay, right?_

_I don’t think Shima and Konekomaru will leave. You said they’re like your brothers, right? Well Yukio and I are always together. We never leave each other and I know we never will. I think Shima and Konekomaru will stay with you because that’s what brothers do. Maybe they’re scared just like you. So stay together, okay? Don’t be scared. And I’m here for you too! I know I won’t leave you alone so for sure, you’ll always have someone, right?_

_I don’t really know what Buddhism is but I will ask my Papa about it because it sounds interesting. Here at the monastery, we’re all Catholic. So we believe in God and Jesus and stuff. I don’t really understand it a lot but Papa is a really good teacher and he’s teaching me little by little. You sound smart so your dad must be a good teacher too._

_It’s okay. I don’t really understand it but you can talk about it and I’ll catch on. Papa said I’m good at that. He says I just need to have it repeated a lot and I’ll remember it._

_I can draw you a picture of me and my brother and my pops but maybe we should send real pictures to each other so that way we know what we look like! I think it’s a good idea so you should tell me if you want to do it or not. I will draw you a picture for now._

_Hope this letter finds you well, and look forward to hearing from you!_

_Sincerely,_

_Your best friend, Rin_  

Underneath his name, he drew the best he could. He and his brother holding onto his Papa’s hands and he labeled them as well. He placed _Yukio_ under his brother, _Papa_ under Shiro, and _Me_ under himself. Rin smiled a bit and seemed satisfied before he folded up the paper and pushed it into the envelope. 


	16. June 1, 2000

Ryuuji squirmed in his seat impatiently as he waited for his mom to get back. He tried to distract himself by beginning to pen down his reply to Rin's last letter, but his eyes kept wandering to the drawing Rin had sent him. It wasn't as good as his had been, but it had been a good effort. Better than any of Renzou's drawings that was for sure. A small smile stretched across his face again every time he glanced at it.

"Alright, boys. Here you go."

Ryuuji's mom walked in with a stack of photos in her hands. Ryuuji's eyes lit up at the sight and he waited for her to place them down on his desk before reaching for them.

"Thanks, Ma!"

"Thanks, Okami-san!"

"It was no problem. Now I'll be heading off to prepare for dinner then, alright? You better not pick a fight with your father again tonight, Ryuuji!" The sweet tone Ryuuji's mom had been using became sharp as she addressed her son.

Ryuuji made a face at her behind her back.

"I saw that!" Torako huffed loudly as she slid the door closed behind her.

"Yikes. You're in it for now, Bon." Renzou winced slightly.

"I ain't scared of her…" Ryuuji muttered, though not very reassuringly. After a second, he shook his head and picked up a photo.

"Here, Konekomaru."

Konekomaru had been staring down at his letter with a slight frown. He looked up upon being addressed and the frown on his face deepened as he stared at the photo that was being held out to him.

"Don't ya want to send one to that Hibari guy?" Renzou asked, confused at the other's hesitation.

"Um, well…" Konekomaru's eyes darted down to stare the photo in Ryuuji's hand once more. After another second, he finally reached over to accept it. "I guess…" he muttered quietly, looking a little concerned.

Ryuuji frowned. The clear excitement that had been in his eyes faded a little as he looked at Konekomaru in worry. "You never tell us anythin' about that guy. What's he like? He bein' mean ta ya?"

Konekomaru seemed a little taken aback by his question. "He's…" A strange expression crossed his face for a moment. "He's a little… shy, is all. He doesn't really talk all that much."

"Heh. He scared to talk to ya or somethin'?"

"Of Konekomaru?" Ryuuji seemed outraged at the thought that anyone could find their gentle friend intimidating.

"Maybe the poor little skylark is afraid of Big Bad Koneko-san!" Renzou snickered a little meanly.

"You shouldn't make fun of people like that!" Konekomaru immediately protested. He looked uncomfortable, and perhaps a little paler than usual.

Neither of his friends noticed that last part.

"Quit it." Ryuuji huffed as he elbowed Renzou's ribs hard.

"Ouch!"

_Dear Rin,_

_Lately, things have become much better at my temple. A lot of things have changed, and everyone has become very busy, but it's for the better I think._

_Not everything's perfect though. I'm still havin' problems with my old man sometimes, but we can't really argue 'cause my mom gets mad. She's scary when she gets mad._

_Still, I'm really glad we can talk to each other about these kinds of things. You're a good friend. And about what ya said in your last letter, ya better mean it okay! It's a promise. And it goes both ways too. I swear I won't ever leave ya alone no matter what happens._

_I liked your drawing, but I really would like to see a real picture of you guys. Ya might have already noticed, but we sent you guys a copy of us with our letters._

_Rin, we'll definitely meet in person one day, okay?_

_Hope this letter finds you well, and that I hear from you soon._

_Sincerely,_

_Your best friend, Ryuuji_


	17. June 5, 2000

They were laughing and sweaty by the time they returned to the monastery. Shiro had bought them a disposable camera which Rin and Yukio exchanged between them. They took pictures of themselves and each other before Shiro took them out to the playground nearby. There, the camera was used up on the swings and the slide. The seesaw also had its spot in several pictures of the brothers. Finally, the last two pictures were special, with the three of them smooshed together and showing off peace signs at the lens.

After that, they'd taken the camera to get developed, ate at a takoyaki stand, and then returned for the pictures.

"Look! I really like this one!" Rin lifted up a picture as they walked of himself in the middle of jumping from the swing. "It looks like I'm flying! Good job, Yukio!"

Yukio blushed at the compliment as he remembered he took that picture.

They chatted about their day all up until they returned to the monastery. Rin pulled Ryuuji's letter out of his jacket pocket before Shiro took their jackets. Rin hurried off to his room and sat at his desk. After getting a sheet of paper, he immediately started his reply.

_Dear Ryuuji,_

_I'm very happy that your temple is getting better! That's a big relief! I argue with my papa a lot too but he loves me and I'm sure your dad loves you too. Dads are supposed to do that. I don't know about moms because I've never met mine but I think she loves you too._

_I'm definitely not lying at all! You're my best friend and I'm not gonna leave you alone! Never! Even if a big monster comes after you and I'm really scared, I'm still gonna be right there!_

_I wanna meet you in person. I wanna play with you and talk to you. I like these letters a lot but I think being together will be more fun!_

_My Papa and Yukio and me all went playing with a camera today and we took lots of pictures. Here's one!_

_You look really cool by the way!_

_Hope this letter finds you well, and look forward to seeing you soon!_

_Sincerely,_

_Your bestest best friend, Rin_


	18. October 23-26, 2006

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Okumura twins are 12 and in their first year of middle school/junior high.

_October 23, 2006_

_Ryuuji,_  
  
 _School's getting pretty tiresome lately. I know you keep telling me to keep my chin up and I have been trying! I promise! It's just hard. I just feel bad for telling you about this because I know you're really hoping for me to do better. But I don't wanna lie to you either. No matter how much work I do or how much I study, I just can't get it._  
  
 _I can't make any friends either, yanno? I mean, you and Yukio are all I've got. And it's not that that's a bad thing but people talk about me a lot and it just sucks. Every time I go I just can't wait to get home. It might be easier to endure if you were there but you're not. It's not your fault or anything but I just can't confide in Yukio the way I can confide in you._  
  
 _I just wish you were here._  
  
 _Hope this letter finds you well, and I really look forward to hearing from you again._  
  
 _Sincerely,_  
 _Your best friend, Rin_

* * *

_October 26, 2006_

_Rin,_  
  
 _Sorry I'm not there. I wish I could help ya out an' be there with ya. This whole situation sucks. I'm glad you're tellin' me about it though. You don't hafta be afraid to tell me anythin'. I'm always gonna be here ta listen an' support ya. That ain't ever gonna change._  
  
 _That said, I also gotta apologize for being kinda absent lately. I ain't makin' things better for ya by spacin' out. It's been a busy month over here, but that ain't any excuse. You're always on my mind, ya know. It's just hard to find the time to sit down an' write everythin' I wanna tell ya sometimes._  
  
 _I'll do better from now on though, and don'tcha try to wave my fault away. This was my bad, and I gotta own up ta it._  
  
 _Speakin' o' which... I recently got a phone. So. We should talk. I'd like ta finally be able to put a voice ta your face so..._  
  
 _My number's xxx-xxxx-xxxx_  
  
 _Call me, okay?_  
  
 _Hope this letter finds you well, and that I hear from you soon._  
  
 _Sincerely,_  
 _Your best friend, Ryuuji_


	19. October 30, 2006

Rin stood outside the phone booth, staring at the receiver within. He had Ryuuji's letter clutched tightly in his hand along with a pocket full of money, saved up allowance from his old man. Most teens used it on street food and arcades, but now he had a real reason to use it. An important reason.

It was easy to write to Ryuuji, to pour his thoughts out on paper and imagine his friend on the other side. But somehow, picking up a phone seemed so much more intimidating.

Rin swallowed.

He opened the phone booth and stepped in, closing the door behind him. Rin opened up the letter again and dropped the amount of money needed in the coin slot. He pressed the receiver to his ear but his fingers hesitated over the keys.

"Come on, Rin!" he whispered fervently to himself. "He's your best friend! What are you afraid of?" Rin quickly dialed the number before he could think twice. His heart leapt with each ringing tone.

_"'llo?"_

A low, smooth voice answered the phone.

_"Who's this?"_

Rin's breath hitched for a moment. The voice was deep and gruff and nothing like he expected.

"Ryuuji?" He gripped the phone, his expression starting to brighten. "Oh my god you sound so cool! It's Rin!" He smiled brightly, all nervousness fading away immediately.

There was a slight pause on the line followed by a quiet intake of breath.

_"Rin."_

The voice on the line sounded surprised, but pleasantly so.

 _"Ya called!"_  A clear grin could be heard in Ryuuji's words.  _"'M glad. Shit. Wow. I wasn't-I mean I was expectin' ya to, o' course, 'm just... surprised. Shit,"_   he said again, sounding a little breathless.  _"How're ya doin'?"_

Rin's happiness bubbled up in the form of a small laugh. He was bouncing on his heels and his cheeks hurt from how wide he was grinning.

"I'm good now!" He leaned against one of the walls of the booth. "Oh man, my heart's pounding. I hafta look so weird. I'm in a pay phone right now 'cause the priests are real nosy."

 _"Ya dork."_   The term was uttered in a quiet, fond tone, but the light tilt in Ryuuji's voice indicated he was equally as eager.  _"What're ya sneakin' around for? 'S jus' me."_

"Well yeah but that's the reason, yanno. They're all gonna be like 'Oh, is that Ryuuji-kun?!'" Rin adopted a different voice, mocking the priests.

 _"Haa, that so?"_  Ryuuji chuckled quietly. It was clear that he was trying to sound unruffled, but a voice in the background ruined his attempt.

 _"Aww, look, Koneko-san! Bon's blushing!"_  There was a faint snicker, followed by quieter grunt.

 _"Shima!"_  Ryuuji's voice lowered into an embarrassed, muffled hiss.  _"Quit it!"_

Rin blinked when he heard another voice in the background but when Ryuuji said the name, he couldn't help but grin again. He'd have to tell Yukio he heard Shima's voice too.

"Eh?" Rin's voice took on a teasing tone. "Bon? Is that your nickname?"

There was a quiet exasperated huff, followed by quick rebuttal.  _"No!"_   Ryuuji paused.  _"Well, kinda,"_   he muttered reluctantly just a few seconds later.  _"Ignore it though, will ya? It's embarrassin'."_

Rin laughed. He'd always pictured Ryuuji as this really cool guy. It was nice to see he could be embarrassed too. That didn't make him any less cool of course. Rin wondered how it looked when he blushed.

"Don't worry! Not gonna call you that. I like bein' special and callin' ya Ryuuji." His confession was true and unabashed. He didn't really hold much back when it came to his friend.

 _"…Yer such a sap,"_   Ryuuji muttered in that same embarrassed tone he'd used before.  _"But yeah... it's, uh, tha same for me. It'd be weird ta say anythin' else now anyway!"_

Rin grinned, letting out a pleased little laugh through his teeth. "Yeah, tell me about it. We were weird kids back then, huh?" He lifted his hand and stared at the beads around his wrist. They were the prayer beads that Ryuuji had sent him when they were young. He never took them off and he found himself fiddling with them when times were tough. They were a comfort to him and it was as close as he would get to having his friend by his side.

Or it was. Rin's fingers curled tighter around the phone, pressing it closer to his ear.

"So." Rin was smiling again. "Whatcha doin'?"

 _"Ah, not much,"_   Ryuuji answered, chuckling.  _"We were jus' 'bout ta head back home. Got outta school an' all."_   His tone became a little tense upon mentioning the subject, but he continued on speaking regardless.  _"Gotta keep my grades up if I want to follow through with what I told ya I was gonna do,"_   he added in a quieter, hushed tone. Clearly, he wanted no one else but Rin to hear him.

A little knot of shame tightened in Rin's chest and he let out a soft confirming sound. "Right," he muttered. But he then pushed the smile back on his face. "I'm glad you're doin' good, then, Ryuuji. I wonder how your grades compare to my brother's. He's a study nut too."

Ryuuji chuckled quietly.  _"With the way ya keep goin' on an' on about him sometimes, I don't doubt it."_

"Can't help it, can I? He's my brother. I'm proud of him!" Rin protested, but it was with a happy tone.

Ryuuji continued to chuckle. The sound was light, warm, but when it faded off there was a bit of a hesitant pause, and then the serious tone in Ryuuji's voice returned.  _"Rin… Ya holdin' up okay?"_

Rin couldn't help but sigh a bit. "I'm fine, Ryuuji. Nothin' out of the ordinary, yanno?" He wanted to brush it off but… Ryuuji was his best friend. "I just can't get it as easy as you and Yukio do. Th' priests already make fun of me 'cause we're twins but I'm useless."

 _"Yer not useless!"_  Ryuuji's deep voice rose in an instant.  _"The hell are ya contemplatin' that dumb idea for? Tch!"_  He continued on before Rin could interrupt him, letting out a low, irritated growl.  _"You an' yer brother might be twins, but that doesn't mean the two of ya have gotta be the same. An' just 'cause yer havin' a hard time at school doesn't mean you're stupid. No one thinks that. Not your family, and definitely not me,"_   he said firmly.

Rin sighed and scratched the back of his head. He stared at his feet and slumped against the side of the booth he was leaning against. "Easy for you to say…" he muttered. "It's not like I'm not tryin' but no matter how much I try, it never gets better an' people already look down on me an' everything…" He let out a frustrated sound. "This conversation got so serious! This was supposed to be fun! 'S our first phone call! I shouldn't be bringin' all this heavy stuff in."

A quiet, irritated grunt came from the other side of the line. Then,  _"Nothing's changed between us, Rin. This ain't supposed ta be any different from writin' letters. If you're down, or happy, or angry, or anythin', we're supposed ta tell each other. 'S what we promised, right?"_

Rin sighed softly. "Yeah, I know. An' I still think that way. I don't wanna lie to you or anythin', I just don't wanna ruin everythin', yanno?" he replied in a small voice as he heard the voice on the line tell him he was running out of time. He quickly put in a few more coins before it disconnected.

 _"You're not ruinin' anythin', ya dork,"_   Ryuuji said. Though gruff, there was a gentle undertone in his voice.  _"There's no way ya ever could. Now quit makin' me say all these embarrassin' things."_   He huffed.

Rin smiled despite himself and laughed lightly. "But 'cha said we wouldn't hold anythin' back, right?" he teased the other. Ryuuji really had a way of cheering him up.

There was a quiet groan.  _"I know what I damn well said,"_   Ryuuji muttered.  _"But we're movin' away from the mushy stuff unless ya want me ta have ya spoutin' embarrassin' shit instead."_

"Oh no! I'm so scared of the big bad Ryuuji!" Rin said in a high-pitched voice. "Gonna make me say mushy stuff and he's gonna blush all cute-like! What am I gonna do!?"

 _"Who're ya callin' cute?!"_  Ryuuji growled lowly. _"Tch. Fine. If ya wanna play that way, then I gotta say, Rin, you've certainly gotten mouthier over the years. What'ver happened to the cute, shy brat who'd always ask me, "that okay? 's that fine?" Hmm?"_

"Eh?!" It was Rin's turn to blush. "H-Hey! I was like… Six back then!"

 _"So was I,"_   Ryuuji said smugly. _"An' I didn't say half of the embarassin' shit ya did back then."_

"Nah-uh! You were seven!" Rin protested loudly. "A-And besides! You had more friends than I did so ya had more experience!" He stuck his tongue out even though Ryuuji couldn't see him.

 _"Heh. Ya had yer brother, didn't ya? Count yerself lucky for that."_   Ryuuji let out a loud snort.  _"Dealin' with Shima, on the other hand, 's always a pain, especially these days. If Konekomaru wasn't 'round to intervene, I would've dragged him to the temple by his ear 'ready. It's damn embarassin' puttin' up with his antics at school."_   Ryuuji spoke freely, not holding back his disgust. The lack of protests in the background indicated he was alone.

Rin tilted his head curiously. "What kinda antics are ya talkin' 'bout? Like pranks or somethin'?"

 _"If only…"_ Ryuuji muttered heatedly.  _"Tch. No, it's his damn skirt-chasin' that's getting' on my nerves. Can barely walk around school without 'im disappearin' with some girl on his arm."_

"Flirtin', huh?" Rin sniggered. "I guess he hasn't changed much at all since we were kids. 'Member when he thought Yukio was a girl? He started callin' him Yuki-chan." He laughed a bit. It was nice to remember these kinds of things, even if he hadn't been particularly close friends with Shima.

_"Haha, yeah. He even drew hearts on that first letter. He got so disappointed when he found out he wasn't talkin' with a girl."_

The two of them laughed for a while at that. Then, Ryuuji asked,  _"Do they even talk all that much anymore? Shima doesn't bring him up much anymore. He's always been a lil tightlipped 'bout your brother though."_

Rin blinked at the question and, for the first time, thought about it. He'd been so stressed out with his own school situation that he hadn't noticed. "Now that ya mention it. Yukio barely talks about Shima anymore. Haven't seen him write a letter in weeks. Then again, he could be writin' it when I'm not around."

 _"I see…"_  Ryuuji sighed.  _"Was hopin' yer brother might back me up in reignin' in that idiot."_

Rin let out a long "Hmmm." He nodded slightly. "Well I'll ask Yukio 'bout it. He's been all studious lately so it's probably just that he doesn't talk about it to me anymore." He checked how much money he had left in his pocket and spoke up again. "So, how 'bout I give you the number to the monastery and ya can call whenever ya want." He grinned. "I don't got a phone yet but if I ever get one, I'll give ya the number to that too."

_"Sounds good."_

After they exchanged numbers, Ryuuji cleared his throat and said,  _"…It was nice talkin' to ya after all this time. I know I've told ya this before but, I'm... glad we met, Rin."_

Rin smiled softly. "Yeah. Me too, Ryuuji. I dunno where I'd be withoutcha."

 _"Probably still thinkin' that tomatoes grow on trees."_   Ryuuji chuckled. _"I'll… call ya. An' I'll be waiting ta hear from ya soon too. If I don't pick up, I'll call ya back when I can,"_   he promised.

"I was nine!" Rin huffed and pouted off to the side. "Yeah, yeah. Same to you. Talk to ya later, alright?" He couldn't help but smile despite himself.

_"Yeah… See ya."_

Ryuuji's parting words were uttered softly. There was a quiet fond tone that curled around them and lingered in the air long after the call ended. Despite how far away the two of them were at the moment, both Ryuuji and Rin were sharing identical smiles. And, as Ryuuji looked down at the phone in his hand, he felt that smile broaden. His heart felt full, sated.

It had been six years since he'd first met Rin. He'd always treasured the connection he'd built with the other boy over the years. Now, as he stared at Rin's name displayed on his screen, he felt that connection deepen, and couldn't feel any more glad for it.


	20. December 8, 2007

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Currently, Ryuuji is 14 years old and Rin is 13.

"Ryuuji! Get back here and apologize to your father!"

Ryuuji ignored his mother's words and stalked off in a fury, his hands clenched at his side. He could hear Konekomaru and Shima whispering behind him, but he paid them no mind and they made no move to follow him.

_That damn geezer!_

Ryuuji squeezed his eyes shut and tried to calm his temper, but by the time he'd reached his room, his fists were shaking. The urge to hit someone, to yell at someone, was at an all-time high. He'd only barely resisted from doing so just a few minutes ago. He hadn't dared strike his own father, but he'd wanted to.

He'd wanted to.

It was for a damn good reason too. He didn't understand why his mom wasn't as pissed off as he was, not after he had told her that he had caught his dad flirting around. Sure, Ryuuji hadn't caught what they'd been saying, but he'd seen how damn close they'd gotten to each other. Even worse was the fact that Ryuuji hadn't seen his father in days, an irritatingly reoccurring habit that kept increasing lately. He'd been worried, anxious, and angry this entire time, and when he'd finally spotted the back of his father's bald head on his way home from school, his heart had loosened in relief. The sight of the curvy, full-lipped woman in front of him, however, had immediately brought back his anger.

"…the absolute worst…"

Ryuuji's head throbbed.

He felt awful. He hadn't felt this awful in years.

Plopping down on the floor with his back against the wall was a familiar habit, as was pressing the heel of his palms into his eyes. Ryuuji sat there, motionlessly, and felt none of the tension in his body loosen. He thought about meditating, but his mind was too full to empty and his emotions too sensitive to ease. The only thing that he felt like doing right now was—

"Rin…"

The word escaped his lips quietly. Ryuuji thought of the letters sitting in his desk drawer and of the number stored in his phone; a number he called often, these days. Ryuuji took out his phone then and looked down at it with a troubled frown. The creases between his eyebrows became less pronounced the longer he stared at the bright screen. He was able to swallow down some of his anger as he thought of Rin, of his laugh, of the welcoming sound of his voice.

A pang of longing, mixed with guilt, pulsed inside of him. Ryuuji soon found himself giving into the only urge he always allowed himself to follow, and called Rin.

The person who picked up the phone wasn't Rin.

 _"Hello?"_  It was an older man's voice. One of the priests.  _"This is Father Nagatomo. How can I help you?"_

Ryuuji's stomach sank. He swallowed down his ridiculous disappointment—he shouldn't have expected Rin to answer the phone. It was always a free-for-all when he called, he knew that. He'd just forgotten.

"Ah, 'llo, Father…" he muttered. He cleared the gruffness out of his throat and continued in a steadier voice. "It's, uh, Ryuuji. 'S Rin there?" He tried not to sound as desperate or as eager as he felt.

 _"Ah, Ryuuji-kun!"_  Nagatomo's smile could be heard in his voice.  _"Yes, of course. Let me get him."_  There was a soft clatter as the phone was placed down and muffled voices in the background. Finally, Rin's voice slowly rose in volume as it got closer to the phone.

 _"…Yeah, okay!"_  There was rustling as he picked up the phone.  _"Ryuuji? Hey. I was jus' thinkin' of callin' ya. What's up?"_  Rin sounded as happy as always when he grabbed the phone.

Hearing Rin's voice brought the relief Ryuuji had been hoping for. His tense muscles loosened and the creases between his eyebrows smoothed out slightly. "Rin…" he murmured. He let the sound escape him like a sigh, or perhaps like a plea. Why couldn't everything be as simple as talking to Rin? "Hey… I was hopin' ta catcha at home. Ya busy?" he asked quietly.

 _"Not really."_  Rin's voice had lowered in cheer as if he understood that something was bothering his friend.  _"What's goin' on? Are ya alright?"_

"…'S just… my dad," Ryuuji grunted slightly. "I got in a fight with 'im again…"

 _"Oh."_  There was a silence on the other line before suddenly a loud scraping of a chair was heard. It seemed Rin had sat down by the phone.  _"Well, I'm here for ya. What happened?"_

Ryuuji took a few seconds to answer. He wasn't sure if he wanted to talk about it and relive it all over again. It'd be easier to just talk to Rin and let himself cool off. Now that he had Rin on the line, however, the entire spiel felt ready to spill from his lips. Rin, at least, would understand. He'd listen. He'd see Ryuuji was right to be angry.

"…I caught that damn geezer flirtin' around," he finally said, letting out a low growl. His fingers tightened around his phone as he spoke. "Ma ain't even mad about it, though she did give 'im shit for disappearin' for the last couple o' days. He didn't even explain where the hell he'd been!"

 _"Jeez…"_  Rin's voice was quiet and shocked and a burst of static signaled a deep sigh.  _"That sucks… An' he wouldn't talk to ya? There has ta be some sorta reason, right?"_

Ryuuji let out a vague, somewhat frustrated grunt at the question. What reason in the world would it be? Wasn't it all obvious?  _My bastard failure of a father doesn't give a shit about us._ He felt his heart clench fiercely, a sharp stab that spread across his chest like a bitter poison. It felt hard to breathe. Closing his eyes only brought the memory of his father giving him that accursed appeasing smile, of the smell of booze sticking to his clothes, of his mother placing a steadfast hand on his dad's shoulders like it belonged there—like he deserved it.

"My dad," Ryuuji hissed as the pain in his chest stung deeply, "is the worst." He swallowed thickly. "Everyone's right about 'im. He's a damn disgraceful monk and an awful father. Always disappearin' off ta gods knows where, bein' damn freakin' secretive. If he's gonna leave, he should damn well  _leave,_ " he snarled.

 _"Hey, don't say that."_   Rin's voice went quieter and there was definitely a stern tone to it.  _"I get that your angry and stuff but… He's still your dad. Your family. Ya can't jump to conclusions so fast, 'specially when it's family. Ya gotta work an' figure it out."_   He sighed.  _"An'… If he doesn't wanna tell ya… I dunno, Ryuuji. I'm always gonna be here for ya, whatever ya decide, but don't give up on your dad so quick."_

Ryuuji tried to let Rin's words reach him. He wanted to follow his advice. He didn't want to feel this doubt, this betrayal. "He makes it so damn hard…" he muttered. He pressed the phone closer to his ear and felt the heat of the screen press against his cheek. He wished Rin was here, next to him. "'M too pissed right now ta think 'bout forgivin' him."  _He doesn't deserve it._

_…right?_

Ryuuji's stomach twisted. A strange mix of uncertainty, hope, and fear expanded at the bottom of his stomach. Nothing about this situation sat right with him, but Rin's voice was so comforting, and Ryuuji… he wanted to believe.

"Ya might be right though..." He sighed heavily and slumped further on his spot, slouching as he bent his knees and pulled them closed to him. He propped up his elbows on top of them as he continued to speak. "Ma… she ain't someone to mess with. She wouldn't let him fool around." Ryuuji licked his lips. "An' my pops is a lotta things but he wouldn't… he  _wouldn't_ , right?"

 _"Ya always told me how great your dad was."_   The voice on the line was soft and comforting.  _"An' my dad does some pretty dumb stuff too an' he's always talkin' bout pretty girls an' stuff but he's still a good guy. There's just gotta be a reason, Ryuuji."_  He seemed determined in that fact.  _"No dad's gonna act like that without a reason, not the dad you told me about. He loves ya an' I know it 'cause that's what dads are supposed to do."_

Rin's words burned. They were sweeter than a medicine, but still just as hard to swallow. Ryuuji's eyes felt damp as he struggled with the jarring images in his mind. It'd been getting tougher, as he'd grown up, to look at his dad with the same eyes he'd had as a child. Looking up to him was hard now. His father's careless behavior tested Ryuuji's belief in him constantly. Doubting his love though… That was a first, and he felt deeply guilty for it despite what he'd seen… or what he thought he'd seen.

"…Yeah," Ryuuji finally answered, roughly. He cleared his throat desperately, embarrassed at the sound of his voice, and tried to continue in a steadier tone, but it was hard to speak through the lump that had formed in his throat. "…Ah, yeah, you're right, I…" A deep, shuddery breath escaped him, loosening his anxieties and strengthening his will. "'M just bein' dumb. Sorry…"

 _"It's okay. You're not dumb…"_  Rin sighed softly and there was a silence on the line. It lasted for a few seconds before there was an intake of breath, another second, and finally he spoke. _"I just… Wish I could be there with ya. This would be a lot easier."_  He sighed again.

"Tell me 'bout it…" Ryuuji rubbed the moistness out of his eyes as a quiet, helpless smile formed on his lips. "But… Even though we ain't near… I'm glad I can talk ta ya like this. It… It helps. So… thanks." Rather than embarrassed, Ryuuji's words came out heartfelt and sincere.

 _"Well, you're my best friend, Ryuuji. 'Course ya can talk to me."_   Rin's voice sounded a bit more enthusiastic.  _"I'm gonna be here for you and you're gonna be here for me so, ya don't need ta worry 'bout that. An' ya don't need ta thank me either. We're friends an' that's what I'm supposed ta do."_

"I know that, ya dork…" The smile came on more easily now. Fonder too. "I'm still gonna thank ya if I feel I gotta though, so ya might as well put up with it," Ryuuji said, chuckling this time.

 _"If it'll make ya feel better,"_  Rin replied with a laugh.

"Heh." Ryuuji shook his head. He had to admit that he did feel much lighter than he had been when he had first phoned Rin. He was glad he had called him.

"I've missed talkin' to ya." Ryuuji sounded rueful. "Sorry it's been a while again. Ya know how it is around here."

 _"S'alright,"_   Rin said with an off-handed tone.  _"S' been kinda busy 'round here too. Just glad I can talk to ya when I can, yanno?"_

"Yeah, same here…" Ryuuji agreed. "What have ya be up ta lately anyway?"

 _"Ah, it's uh… Just the same stuff, really…"_  Rin's voice lowered a bit in volume.  _"S' nothin' different."_

Ryuuji knew that tone. He frowned. "Your brother's still gettin' on yer case about that fight ya got into the other week?"

Rin sighed.  _"Among other things…"_

Ryuuji's expression twisted in sympathy "…Don't let it getcha down, Rin. He just worries 'bout ya," he assured him.

 _"I know!"_  Rin huffed a bit.  _"I know, I know…"_  He repeated the words with a bit of a softer tone.  _"'S just… Nothin' changes is all."_

Rin sounded so tired. Ryuuji felt that ache again, that need to be at the other's side. It was frustrating.

"Hey, things won't stay the same forever... Jus' do your best," he said in the most encouraging tone he could muster, but these were worn-out words by now. They've begun to feel meaningless as of late. Not because he didn't believe in the other but… because he wished he could do something else to help Rin. Ryuuji believed in the power of words, especially after having traded so many with Rin throughout all these years. But sometimes… he knew words just weren't enough.

 _"Yeah… I'm doin' my best."_  Rin fell silent for a bit. _"You… You gotta do your best too, alright? We both got hard stuff goin' on so…"_

"Yeah…" Ryuuji sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. The beaded bracelet around his wrist reminded him of his father all over again, but it also reminded him of the smaller one Rin had sent him ages ago, back when they had first started to rely on each other like this. He still kept it, even if it no longer fit him. It was sitting faithfully next to all his old letters. "We've got each other though…" he murmured, smiling slightly. "Dunno what I would've done if I hadn't talked to ya today."

 _"I dunno, probably cry!"_  Rin replied with a boisterous and teasing tone. He was always quick to bounce back.  _"Don't ya worry, Ryuuuuuji~ I'll wipe yer face an' blow yer nose!"_

A stifled laugh escaped Ryuuji's lips. "Funny," he said as dryly as he could, grinning widely.

A comfortable silence settled between them. It wasn't the first time it had happened. It was nice sometimes, just listening to each other breathing, knowing the other was there.

"Well, I guess I oughta… go patch things up. Ma's probably still fumin'." Reluctant as he felt about it, Ryuuji wasn't the type to put things off.

 _"Yeah. I gotta go too,"_  Rin responded. There was movement heard on the other side and the scrape of a chair being moved back to its spot.  _"I got somethin' pretty important today!"_  he announced. He sounded proud of himself.  _"If it works out, I'll letcha know."_

"…?" Ryuuji's brow furrowed slightly, but curious as he was, he didn't press. "Yeah, alright. Good luck, then. Talk to ya later."

 _"Yeah, you too. I'll call ya later t'night and letcha know."_   Rin promised.  _"See ya!"_

Rin smiled as he hung up the phone. He was glad whenever he spoke with Ryuuji and even if it hadn't been an entirely happy conversation, he felt like it was still a sort of good luck charm for his first day on his first job.

"You better get going, Rin, you're going to be late."

"I know already, old man! I'm goin'!"


	21. March 9-12, 2009

_March 9, 2009_

_Rin,_

_I know I could've called, but I thought I'd send ya a letter for old time's sake. First of all, I got the scholarship. Haven't told anyone else yet, wanted ya ta be the first one to know. Though, by the time ya get this letter, I'll probably be breakin' the news to my parents. I'll tell Shima an' Konekomaru later tonight. Don't think they'll be too surprised about this even though I've kept it a secret all this time. Wonder how they'll react… I feel kinda bad for leavin' them behind, but I can't stay around here twiddlin' my thumbs. I've been tellin' ya for years now, but my mind's made up an' no one's stopping me. I'm gonna become an exorcist. I'm gonna do my best to become the head monk and rebuild my family's temple._

_Yer probably tired of hearin' me say that by now, huh? Well, put up with it a lil bit longer. This ain't a dream I'll be chasing after forever. I'm makin' it come true._

_That aside, you know I've been savin' up money for a while so I can go visit ya… an' since True Cross Academy is near your area, I was wonderin' if I could stay at your place for… well, as long as you'll have me. I'm packed an' ready ta go any time. Don't really wanna stick around here after I tell my parents I'm leavin'. It's fine if I can't, but I'm definitely droppin' by for a short visit before headin' ta school. It's about damn time. Lookin' forward to seein' ya finally, and eatin' your cooking too._

_Hope this letter finds you well, and that I hear from you soon._

_Sincerely,_

_Ryuuji_

 

* * *

 

_March 12, 2009_

_Ryuuji,_

_I was so surprised when I got your letter! It made me feel like a kid again! Anyway, congratulations on your scholarship! My old man says you can definitely come over! Yukio's going to True Cross Academy too but he's leaving a week early so if you come over, you can take his bed! I hope things blow over well with your ma and pops._

_I'm not tired of hearing your dream, yanno. I'm real happy for you! Seeing you finally start achieving your dream is so cool and I feel like my dream is being achieved too! I don't know if that sounds weird or something. But I just feel really happy for you!_

_I'M SO EXCITED! I finally get to meet you after all these years! It feels like my whole life! You better be ready because I ain't holding back when I see you!_

_Hope this letter finds you well, and I'll see you soon!_

_Sincerely,_

_Rin_


	22. March 29, 2009 (Afternoon)

It had been nearly three weeks since he had written to Rin, two weeks since he had told his parents he was leaving, and one week since he had found out his friends were also leaving with him. They had all just finished packing yesterday. Konekomaru and Shima were heading early to school, much like Rin's brother. Meanwhile, Ryuuji…

Ryuuji was currently on his way to Rin's house.

He was on the train right now, waiting to be dropped off at the station closest to Rin's place. Rin had said he'd meet him there. He was probably already there. Ryuuji felt so damn nervous. He'd been dreaming about this for years, had been thinking about it nonstop since he'd sent that letter. He couldn't believe it was finally happening. His stomach kept turning and it was hard to keep still. The anticipation of it all had him fiddling with the bracelets around his wrist constantly.

Time seemed to be passing by way too slowly. It was hard to enjoy the refreshing change of scenery outside the window. Ryuuji kept catching his own reflection on the glass every now and then, and the image made him feel even more self-conscious.

Just this morning, Ryuuji and Shima had gone and done something completely outrageous. Without telling any of their family, they'd gone and dyed their hair. Ryuuji had been wanting to do as much ever since Kinzou had bleached his hair two years ago. He hadn't dared to do it while he still lived at home, knowing that his mom would get on his case about it, but now that he was leaving… well, it felt like the time was right. He wanted a change anyway. He didn't want to be seen as the same old 'Bon' forever.

And so, without a shred of hesitation, Ryuuji had gotten the middle part of his hair bleached. He'd gotten his ears pierced too. The end result was something he'd been proud of, even if his friends had teased him a little about being so extreme.

 _Not like Shima has any room to talk…_ Ryuuji thought with a slight smirk. His friend had gone all out himself and dyed his entire hair pink. The look oddly suited him, though it was a little weird to get used to at first.

"Attention passengers, we will be arriving at Southern True Cross Station in a few minutes. Please make sure to gather all your belongings before exiting to your left."

Ryuuji was caught off-guard by the announcer's voice. Was it time yet? He checked his phone needlessly and muttered a quick chant to try to settle down his nerves. As the train came to a stop, Ryuuji got up to his feet, grabbed his duffle bag, and after a moment of hesitation, he stuffed the baseball cap he had been wearing in it before stepping out the doors.

 

* * *

 

Rin was standing on the platform, checking his watch. However, right when he looked up, the train began to pull into the station, right on time. He swallowed nervously, bouncing on the balls of his feet and fiddling with the beads around his wrist. He looked around at all the passengers stepping off the train, searching for a face he recognized, a face he'd only seen in the pictures they'd sent each other over the years. Every person that wasn't Ryuuji caused his heart to drop further and further into his stomach. Maybe he missed the train? Maybe he'd gotten the date wrong? Rin was about to check the note he'd written to himself again for about the seventeenth time when he finally saw him.

The hair was definitely different, but he knew that face. He knew it from the days he spent staring at his pictures, wondering when he'd be able to see him face to face. He knew it from when he closed his eyes as they spoke on the phone, pretending they were in front of each other, pretending he was there with an arm around his shoulder whenever he fiddled with those beads around his wrist. But it was there. He was real.

"Ryuuji!" Rin nearly screamed. Excitement and pure, undiluted glee flooded through him. He ran straight at him and, without an ounce of hesitation, jumped into a tight hug, embracing him tightly as he bounced on his toes.

"Rin!" The name came out as a slight gasp. Ryuuji struggled to keep up right but as soon as he found his balance, his arms wound right around Rin's waist tightly, unmindful of the people around them. Something in his chest sparkled, first like fireworks, and then settling down like the steady burn of incense—peaceful, warm, perfect. His nerves calmed all at once.

A laugh bubbled up in Rin's chest and he tightened his grip on his childhood friend. Rin was so happy, he could barely contain himself. This fact was apparent as, after a few moments in the firm embrace, he pulled away to wipe a few tears that had welled up in his eyes. "Oh man…" His voice was nearly trembling. "'M sorry, this is so lame." Rin was laughing as he wiped his face with the sleeves of his hoodie. "I'm just so happy!"

The fireworks sparkled again in Ryuuji's chest, fainter now, but just as powerful. "Same here," he admitted gruffly, rubbing the back of his neck embarrassedly. His fingers tingled as they brushed against the hot skin there. He swallowed slightly, but the feeling remained there, right under his skin, expanding rather than receding. "Can't believe I'm finally here," he said, and a quick breathless chuckle escaped him. He couldn't stop staring at Rin's face. He kept drinking the moment in, as if he'd been thirsty his whole life up until this very moment.

He understood exactly why the other was crying. Still, he teased him. "C'mon, dork. Not gonna cry the whole way to yer house now, are ya?"

"I'm not!" Rin protested loudly, a laugh behind his voice. He took a deep breath and a loud sniff and stood straight with freshly dried eyes. There was still a wide smile on his face and he was sure that it'd probably be there all day. Maybe all week. But now it was time to address the other thing that had caught his eye.

"And that hair!" Rin reached up and touched the bleached streak. "It looks really cool. Ya look like a punk." He let out a gleeful snigger. "When'd you get it done? An' you got so many earrings too!" He marveled as he noticed Ryuuji's new jewelry.

"Who're ya callin' a punk?" Ryuuji ducked his head slightly to hide his grin. A light shiver ran down his spine as he felt Rin's fingers brush over the tips of his hair. "Got it all done this mornin'. Shima did too. Dyed his hair pink." Ryuuji glanced back at Rin's awed expression and felt his grin widen. "Took a picture when he wasn't lookin' but I'll show ya later. We oughta get goin' first?" he asked.

"Pink?!" Rin snickered. "Can't wait to see that!" He was still wonderfully happy as he nodded. "Yeah! I cooked a whole meal for when you got here. It's in the oven now so we better get back. C'mon." Rin led the way out of the train station and headed down the sidewalk. As they walked, Rin was jabbering away.

"I got a whole week off for this!" Rin immediately felt bad for lying and moved to correct his statement. "Well... I mean I got fired a coupla days ago, but I'll look for another job when ya leave. I don't wanna waste any time while you're here." Rin smiled brightly at Ryuuji.

The taller teen resisted the urge to wince at the news. He wondered what had happened this time but didn't ask, not wanting to spoil the mood. "…I see. Well, 'm lookin' forward to finally tryin' out yer food," he said, smiling back. "It'd better be worth the trip. Ya been braggin' to me for ages now. I better be damn impressed by it," he warned, nudging the other with his elbow.

"You will be!" Rin put his hands behind his neck and grinned with a relaxed smile, though he was anything but relaxed. He felt jittery. "I'm glad you finally get to try it too. I've been lookin' forward to this since those cookies I sent you once!" He let out a loud, blissful sigh. "Ah, man. I suddenly got all nostalgic."

"Thinkin' about what a cute brat you were before?" Ryuuji chuckled. "Though you're still a tiny brat, ain't ya? Way shorter than I expected," he said smugly.

"'M not short!" Rin said loudly and indignantly. "You're just a giant!"

"You're short," Ryuuji insisted, mercilessly. "Bet your lil brother would hold it over your head if he weren't so nice."

"Why, you!" Rin jumped up and purposefully messed up Ryuuji's hair. "Get down here, big guy!" He was already laughing though.

"Oi!" Ryuuji swatted the other's hand away. "Quit it," he groused. He ran his fingers through his hair slightly, scrunching his nose about the way his fringe fell over his forehead.

Rin grinned with another snigger as Ryuuji grumbled and pushed back his hair. "You should probably get a spray, or maybe gel," he suggested.

Ryuuji made a quiet, appreciative grunt. "Mmm, yeah. Might do that." Though he had purposely grown out his hair like this, he hadn't thought it would be this annoying. Whatever the hairstylist had applied earlier seem to have loosened its hold after having been mussed up by Rin. The cap he had worn earlier probably hadn't help matters.

Ryuuji's earlier nervousness began to rise again as he thought of his hair.

"So… your, uh, dad's gonna be home, huh? Rest of the priests too?"

"Yep!" Rin smiled at the question. "They're all dyin' to meetcha."

Ryuuji resisted the urge to put his hat back on. "…That so?" he mumbled. "And, uh, your brother? Left already?"

"Yeah. He left early this mornin'." Rin looked at Ryuuji, recognizing his quiet tone. "Whatcha all embarrassed for? Don't worry. They're gonna love you." He grinned reassuringly.

Ryuuji felt his face color slightly. "I ain't embarrassed!" he growled. "…Jus' a lil nervous is all, this bein' the first time an' all," he muttered, clutching the strap of his duffle bag a little tighter.

This was all, in a way, more nerve-wracking that meeting Rin. The anticipation he'd had before had melted upon lying his eyes on the shorter teen, and he'd felt… comfortable, relieved, and happy in a way he hadn't experienced before until now. Meeting his best friend's family, on the other hand… well, he wanted to make a good impression. Ryuuji had spoken with them all over the phone before, and he knew they liked him. He just wanted it to live up to whatever expectations they had of him.

Rin sniggered and smiled brightly, seeing Ryuuji's reddened face. He'd always known his friend to be a confident individual but it made him happy to see him get nervous. It made him feel important. Wanted. "You're gonna do fine," he told him, bright-eyed.

"It's right 'round here."

After making a turn the corner, they came upon the monastery. Rin smiled a bit, looking at Ryuuji for his impression on his home.

Ryuuji looked up at Rin's words and the first thing that caught his eye was the large cherry blossom tree which was in full bloom. A few pink petals were falling as the wind blew, scattering down to the ground until they fell at their feet. The two of them stopped at the front entrance, right before the main gate. Before him was a large building he'd seen before only in pictures.

"Wow..." Ryuuji muttered quietly, feeling oddly awed to be standing here after all this time. It felt a little surreal.

The monastery was larger than it had seemed in the pictures. It was old, the buildings worn though obviously well-cared for. It was a refreshingly quaint and familiar sight, especially since it was surrounded by the many skyscrapers of the city.

Rin felt pride swell in his chest at the sight of his friend's expression. "Yeah, it's pretty nice." He grinned and nodded towards the building. "C'mon. Let's go in." His grin turned teasing. "Don't faint, 'kay?"

Ryuuji broke out of his stupor. "Who will?!" he grumbled, following after Rin who led the way in through the gate and opened the door.

"I'm home!" Rin called in.

A tall priest with shaggy brown hair stepped out of the kitchen and smiled upon seeing them.

"Welcome home, Rin. And Ryuuji-kun is here!" The man called towards the kitchen before walking towards him to shake his hand. "Rin always talks about you. I feel like we know each other well already." He laughed.

"Don't tell him that!" Rin huffed with red cheeks as the other priests walked out, followed by Fujimoto Shiro. The priests that Ryuuji had briefly talked to over the phone as they'd grown up all walked up to and greeted him warmly, leaving Shiro to do so last.

"Old man!" Rin looked at his dad with a puffed out chest. "This is Ryuuji."

"Yep." Shiro grinned. "Nice to finally meet you. Rin speaks very fondly of you."

Rin flushed and looked away again at the by now familiar comment.

Ryuuji felt more than a little overwhelmed by it all. He accepted everyone's greetings politely, trying not to seem as flustered as he felt, but when they didn't even bat an eyelash at his appearance, his shoulders automatically loosened and he ducked his head to hide his smile.

His gaze rose again when Rin's dad stepped up to greet him. Ryuuji's pulse quickened. "Father Fujimoto!" He bowed slightly. "Thank ya for allowin' me to stay over this week. I swear I won't cause ya any trouble an', um… Glad I finally got to meetcha, sir."

Shiro let out a soft chuckle. "Don't be so formal. You're a good friend of Rin's so you're welcome in this home without trouble!" He grinned. "Now, Rin. Go get your friend settled in and then check on that dinner of yours."

"Ah! Right!" Rin smiled brightly at Ryuuji. "C'mon. I'll show ya where you can put down your stuff." He tugged on Ryuuji's sleeve to lead him through the small crowd of priests whom were already gossiping about the two. They made their way down the corridor and up the stairs.

When they got to Rin's room, Ryuuji felt inwardly relieved. He'd felt the priests' gazes on him even after they had gotten out of their sight. It wasn't bad, just… different. Nice.

He didn't let this show on his face though.

"So. Ya talk 'bout me all the time, huh?" Ryuuji shot Rin a small, playful smirk as he dropped his bag next to his friend's bed. He quietly took in the sight of the room, his eyes lingering on the desk for a second, before focusing back in Rin himself.

Rin's face flushed again and he grabbed the goodbye note that Yukio left him and stuffed it into a drawer.

"Oh shaddup," he grumbled. "I talk 'boutcha a little… You're my best friend, yanno. But they make it seem like I never shut up 'boutcha."

"Right... Whatever ya say." Ryuuji's smirk widened just a tad, but he felt pleased. "C'mon, then. 'S about time ya impress me," he said, tilting his head back to the door. "We can do whatever after. Got some things for ya."

"Ah, seriously!?" Rin's eyes widened at the prospect of presents from Kyoto. He'd never gone on his Kyoto trip in middle school since he'd dropped out beforehand. On top of that, Ryuuji had brought them so they were bound to be special. Still, the presents could surely wait for later.

"Yeah, c'mon. Hope you're hungry!" He grinned, trotting backwards out of the room before turning and jogging down the stairs and back towards the kitchen.

Now that he wasn't as jittery as before, Ryuuji took in his surroundings a little more thoroughly. From the inside, the monastery looked equally as worn, but it was clean, with no signs of dust lingering on the edge of the windowsills. It was obvious to tell that the place was well-cared for. They passed a few stray paintings of religious figures as they made their way down a hallway. Ryuuji didn't recognize them, save for a few he'd come across lately in his studies.

But whereas the majority of the place seemed as sacred as one would expect of a monastery, the kitchen looked warmer and welcoming.

 _Rin's territory,_ Ryuuji thought with a hidden grin.

The table was already set and there was a mouthwatering scent coming from the oven. Ryuuji's stomach growled in hunger, much to his embarrassment.

Rin was humming as he hopped into the kitchen, snagging his oven mitts from the counter. As he opened the oven to check on the food, a presence appeared at Ryuuji's side.

"He bought all the ingredients himself." Shiro stood beside the teen, chuckling as he watched his son taking the large casserole out of the oven. "He's been pouring over recipe books this past week, preparing for your arrival." He grinned and looked at Ryuuji. "He's got the entire week's meals planned out. He said you were looking forward to his cooking."

Ryuuji nearly flinched at the sudden voice. As it was, his heart was still thumping hard in his chest when he looked to his side.  _When did he…?_

Ryuuji forced himself to relax and take in Shiro's words.

"O-Oh?" A slight red tinge rose on his cheeks at the thought of all the effort Rin had been going through just for him. "I see…" When he glanced back at Rin, he immediately took notice of the happy grin on the shorter teen's face, which made his own expression melt into a similar, softer smile.

Shiro looked at Ryuuji for a few moments. "He also tells me you're going to True Cross Academy. Will you be attending cram school?"

Ryuuji's smile vanished as quickly as it had come. Surprise, confusion, and finally realization filtered through his mind. "I… Yes." He shot the older man a quick glance, frowning, and he finally caught sight of the familiar pendant hanging off the priest's neck. It was one he'd seen often around his house. He couldn't believe he had missed it earlier.

"You're part of the Order too, aren'tcha, sir?" Ryuuji murmured quietly. It made sense. Hadn't Rin mentioned it once? It had been so long ago, an offhanded remark in one of their letters. It had slipped from Ryuuji's mind.

Shiro chuckled. "Yes. I am." He lifted a finger and placed it over his own lips. "Rin doesn't know what an exorcist really means. So I'll ask you to keep quiet about that. I'll tell him in my own time."

"Oi! What're ya two whisperin' about?" Rin had finally spotted them and was scowling at his father.

"Ah, can't I get to know your best friend without being questioned?" Shiro replied in a teasing tone.

"You're probably askin' him weird questions!" Rin waved a fork threateningly. "Get outta here, old man! I'll call you when dinner's finished!"

Shiro began laughing and waved a hand placating manner. "Alright, alright." He looked back to Ryuuji. "It was nice speaking to you. Please give my words some thought." And with that, he turned to leave the kitchen.

Rin walked up to Ryuuji and watched his dad leave with slightly pink cheeks. "He didn't ask anything weird, did he?"

"H-Huh?" Ryuuji was still trying to take in what had just happened. The man he'd just interacted with had shown him a side he hadn't expected. Ryuuji felt… intimidated. Moreover, he was confused. What had the priest meant by that? Rin really didn't know about the Order? His dad had been keeping it a secret?

Anger sparked quietly in his gut, followed by a deep ache of disappointment. A frown threatened to cloud over his expression, but Ryuuji clenched his jaw and tried not to let his inner feelings show. He didn't want to cause trouble, not today. Not when he was finally here with Rin. They were supposed to be enjoying this time. He wasn't going to ruin things.

…Ryuuji decided to let this incident be for now and promised himself to bring it up later. He'd apologize to Rin for putting it off then, even though he was sure the other would understand.

"It was nothin'. Was jus' askin' me 'bout school," he finally said, forcing himself to relax. Though he still felt troubled, the smile on his lips came a little easier as he looked back at Rin. "How's dinner then? Need a hand with anythin'?"

Rin stared at Ryuuji for a moment before he too smiled. "Not really. But you wanna try it? I'll give you a sneak peek and you can tell me if it's good." He moved to grab a small plate and spoon from the cabinet and drawer. He stuck the spoon in the corner of the meaty casserole and put it on the small plate, handing both to Ryuuji. "Here. Try it." He smiled in anticipation.

Ryuuji accepted the plate, and as much as he wanted to crack a joke, warn the other that he would come back to haunt him if he died from poisoning, the warm inviting smell coming from the plate was making his mouth water.

"Looks great…"

Ryuuji resisted the temptation to gulp it down in one go and blew gently over the juicy, steaming casserole first. The moment he got a taste of it though, his eyes widened.

"'S good!" Ryuuji had never felt so eager to eat a meal. "Ya weren't kiddin' at all! I mean, the stuff you've been sendin' me all these years was great, but this is freakin' amazing!"

Rin felt his face flush immediately upon hearing Ryuuji's words and he ducked his head, grinning at the floor as he lifted a foot to rub it against the back of his leg self-consciously. He felt so relieved and happy that Ryuuji had liked it, he couldn't help it. "'M glad ya like it. There's definitely gonna be enough for leftovers an' lunch t'morrow too since ya like it so much." He grinned shyly up at the taller teen.

"Heh. Sounds good… Though I ain't lettin' ya skimp out on me! Yer dad told me you've got the whole week planned out, an' after tastin' this, can't say I'm not lookin' forward to it."

Rin was too flattered to be embarrassed and he blushed further. "I am, I am! I'm not gonna change my plans, though I can't believe he told you somethin' like that…" He shot a scowl towards the door his father had left from before looking back at Ryuuji with a smile. "Gladja like it, really. Since it's all for you, yanno," he said bashfully before putting the mitts back on and grabbing the large dish.

"C'mon. I'll call everyone else so ya can sit down an' I'll getcha somethin' to drink," Rin said as he took the still steaming casserole to the table, placing it on the potholders sitting in the center.

The dinner was a pleasant ordeal. Ryuuji was still a little intimidated by Rin's family, especially after that chat he had with Rin's dad. Every time he glanced at the white-haired man, who acted in that same careless manner his own father did, his stomach twisted uncomfortably; but the sight of Rin's grinning face and the warm familiarity of the other priests put him at ease and made him forget the talk of secrets.

After all, these were the voices he'd heard over the phone for most of his life, briefly as those moments had been, and even now they treated him with fondness, as if he was right where he belonged.

It was nice, kind of like being at home.

"Oh! That's right. Rin, you're in luck! We found you a job opening while you were out picking up Ryuuji-kun. The interview's tomorrow."

"Huh?" Rin stared at Izumi, crestfallen at the news. "But… Ryuuji's here!"

"Ryuuji-kun is going to be here for a week." Shiro looked at him, sternly. "You can't afford to wait a week and hope that the job will still be there."

"Yeah, but…" Rin scowled at his father, looking none too pleased.

Ryuuji nudged Rin with his elbow. "Hey, I ain't goin' anywhere. Won't hurt ta give it a chance, right?"

Rin looked at Ryuuji, feeling a helpless sort of sensation wash down his chest. "Fine," he muttered, taking a moody bite of his food.

At the compliance, the priests all stared in shock at Ryuuji. It seemed that they had anticipated a fight and had all been armed with arguments in order to convince Rin to go to the interview. But the fight had ended before it even started.

"Ryuuji-kun! That was amazing! We've never seen Rin give in so quickly!" Kyodo exclaimed as the other priests vehemently agreed.

"What're ya tryin' to say!?" Rin growled crudely, glaring daggers at the other priests.

Ryuuji stifled a smile behind a mouthful of food.

Yeah, this was just like being at home.


	23. March 29, 2009 (Evening)

By the time they finally got back to Rin's room, Ryuuji felt full, sated by both the food and the atmosphere of the monastery. The excitement of the day had yet to fade away though. In fact, it spiked up even more as the two of them settled down on Rin's bed, knees inches apart, their backs pressed against the wall.

"I really don't mind ya goin', ya know," Ryuuji said, speaking up as he noticed the slight tension still lingering on the other's shoulders. It was easier than he thought to read the other's face, even though this was the first day he'd gotten the chance to. "Could go visit ya discreetly. Gotta get ta know the town, right?"

Rin turned his head and glanced at Ryuuji. "Yeah I know." He couldn't help but smile a bit despite himself. "I jus' wanna spend 's much time with ya as I can. Yanno, before ya leave." He huffed slightly and stared forward at the opposite wall.

"Yukio said he'd be studyin' too hard to visit on the weekends. He's damn heartless, that kid." Rin grumbled and scratched his head. He turned his gaze back to Ryuuji then. "You'll visit though, right? 'S just a train ride away." His tone was pleading and his eyes hopeful.

Ryuuji dragged his eyes away from that stare, shaking his head as he scoffed. "'Course I will, ya dork." He was already looking forward to being able to visit his friend more often. This wasn't going to be a one-time thing. "An' I'll drag yer brother back with me if I find him too. No matter how busy we get, we'll always have time for ya," he assured him. He'd probably drag Shima and Konekomaru around at some point too. It was about time his friends met. A smile touched his lips at the thought of them all eating together, and it broadened as he thought of warm afternoons, lounging around this room, studying while Rin slept his work shift off or read manga.

Rin's smile grew wide at the promise and he lunged forward, wrapping his arms around Ryuuji's shoulders in a tight hug. "Ah, you're the best friend a guy could have!" he professed earnestly. "I'll be lookin' forward to every visit." Rin propped his chin on his friend's shoulder, still grinning from ear to ear. "An' I'll make ya a nice somethin' to eat every time."

Ryuuji was surprised at how hard the other could squeeze. "Ack! Dude, what're ya, a monkey?" He considered pushing the other's face away when he felt the chin dig into his muscles. A wicked smirk flashed across his face as he thought that over. "No need ta be so excited. Did ya really expect me ta ditch ya now that I've gotcha so near?" Ryuuji shifted to get the other under a headlock and began to rub his knuckles into Rin's scalp fiercely.

"Ah! NO!" Rin screeched as his head was suddenly captured and a pain fired up at the top of his head. He gripped at Ryuuji's arm and wriggled, shaking his head and yelping. "Stop! Stop! MERCY!" He pulled at the arm around his neck as he kicked his legs into the bed.

"Hmm? Wha's that? Ya want more?" Ryuuji spoke over Rin's protests, chuckling as he kept his grip tight, putting all his strength into it.

"NonononoNONONO!" The shorter teen squealed louder and reached up, putting a hand on the back of Ryuuji's neck and pulling him down into the bed. With remarkable strength, Rin was able to wiggle and duck out of the taller teen's hold as he climbed on his back. He put an arm around his best friend's neck and grinned triumphantly, panting from the exertion. "Gotcha right where I wantcha!" he proclaimed as he balled up his fist threateningly above Ryuuji's hair.

"…!" Ryuuji grunted in surprise as his face hit the mattress. He pulled a face as he realized he'd lost the upper hand and tried to shift away from the other's hold. "Ya really  _are_  a monkey…!" he grumbled, snorting in amusement. He glanced behind him and upon seeing Rin's poised fist, he immediately moved to cover his hair protectively. "Don'tcha dare," he warned. "You've messed up my hair enough today."

"Don't give it if ya can't take it!" Rin snickered devilishly. He pushed Ryuuji's hands out of the way and quickly, before he could move them back, rubbed his knuckles into the streaked hair, being careful not to use his full strength.

"Aagh!" Ryuuji squirmed and tried to knock Rin's hands away, shuddering at the unpleasant sensation. "Dammit, Rin!" he groaned. It became a battle of limbs then as the two struggled to one-up the other, letting out huffing laughter and growls until finally, they hit the floor with a loud thump.

" _Ugh_. 'kay, that hurt." Ryuuji bit his lower lip to hide his grin, barely wincing at the slight ache on his back. He had his fingers tangled up in Rin's hair, and the younger boy's face was pressed up to his stomach. Without giving it a thought, he shoved his head right off and smirked as the other's chin hit the floor.

"Ow! Haha!" Rin turned onto his back and rubbed his chin as laughter bubbled up from his chest. "That was fun." He looked at Ryuuji with a smile. "I didn't hurtcha too bad, right?" His tone wasn't teasing in the least and the question was quite serious despite his smile.

Ryuuji prepared himself to deliver a wisecrack but he registered the tone in time. A glance at the other's face _—_ at that smile that didn't look remotely  _right—_ reminded him of the letters he'd clutched in frustration over the years. His gaze softened. "As if ya ever would," he answered, his tone quiet and perhaps even a little exasperated. Still, an understanding smile settled on his lips and remained there as he shook his head. "Right, then. C'mon, get up. Got somethin' to show ya."

Rin's cheeks flushed a little at Ryuuji's tone but it was soon forgotten at his next words. "Hm?" Rin's eyes blinked wide and curious as he sat up, looking at his friend. "What is it?" He got up and reached down, taking Ryuuji's hand and lifting him to his feet rather easily.

Ryuuji forced himself not to stumble, muscles tight and alert. The surprise was beginning to fade, but Rin's strength was still something to marvel at. He pushed the thought away. "Did ya forget already? I broughtcha somethin'. Sit down." Ryuuji snatched his duffle bag off the floor and set it on Rin's bed before sitting down, with one leg hanging off the side and the other curled under him. He began to rummage through his bag. It was packed neatly, so it didn't take long at all before Ryuuji brought out a large, square bundle wrapped in jade silk cloth. It was a little heavy. Ryuuji looked at the item in his hands and felt his stomach churn anxiously. He took in a quiet breath, relaxed his shoulders, and looked straight at Rin.

"Um. Here," he said, holding the bundle out to his friend.

Rin knelt down on the bed and sat back on his feet as he took the bundle into his lap. He glanced up at Ryuuji with a smile full of anticipation before he peeled back the silk cloth. The hard surface under his fingers was a clean and polished wood. It was a nice quality box with a small latch at the front. Rin had to admit it looked a little pretty but he looked up at Ryuuji curiously. "A box?" he murmured, sure he was missing something.

Ryuuji looked a little embarrassed. "It's—for the letters." The urge to rub the back of his neck was strong. "Thought ya might want a new one. But, uh, I know yer dad gave ya one, so it's fine if you don't wanna use it. Wasn't…" Ryuuji cleared his throat. "'S no big deal. An' anyway, there's more inside. So…" He gestured towards the box with his hand and tried to ignore the rising heat in his cheeks.

"Oh!" The light bulb clicked on and Rin was grinning. He placed the box down before he hopped off the bed and lay on the floor on his stomach. He stuck his head under the bed and reached for his box, bumping against a second one on the way. Rin spared it a small frown before he pulled his out and climbed back on the bed. It was an old and worn shoebox, clearly showing its years in the way the corners were broken and filed down.

"Um. Yeah." Rin smiled sheepishly. "They need a new box." He ran his fingers fondly over the top before he placed the old box gingerly down on the sheets. He then lifted the new box back in his lap and opened it up, remembering Ryuuji's last comment.

"Oh, cool!" Rin's eyes lit up as he pulled a sword phone charm from the box, recognizing it as the weapon of the main character in one of his manga. "This is so cool! I didn't know they made these!"

Ryuuji felt himself relax at Rin's reactions. "Thought ya might like it." He grinned. "Know ya don't have a phone yet, but I thought you could stick it to your wallet or somethin'." His eyes strayed to the old shoebox on the bed. A warm feeling surged in his chest at the sight of it. Just like Rin, Ryuuji had also kept every one of their letters safe, storing them in a drawer back at home. Now that he'd moved out though, he'd bought himself a decent box too. Currently, his letters were at True Cross Academy as he had sent the box along with the rest of his belongings. It felt odd having them so out of reach for the first time, but he trusted Konekomaru to keep his stuff safe.

Rin grinned brightly and nodded. "Yeah! I'll find a way to carry it around with me," he promised before lifting his left wrist and shaking the prayer beads out from under his sleeve so the taller teen could see them. "Jus' another thing I can carry around that makes me think of ya." Rin's smile grew significantly, and it remained like that as he glanced down again.

He pulled the old letter box beside the new one and lifted the lid off. Rin had kept the letters in order. It was clear by how on one side, the envelopes were old and crisp, but the quality gradually became better as it reached the newest letter that sat at the side nearest to Ryuuji. Rin also seemed to have gotten better at opening envelopes as several of the beginning ones had rips that extended down the front and the back. One of the envelopes had even come entirely apart. Rin picked up a small handful of the oldest ones and started transferring the letters into the new box. There was a warm smile on his lips as he focused entirely on his task. He took care to make sure the letters stayed in the same order.

A pleased warmth settled in Ryuuji's chest as his gaze lingered on the bracelet around Rin's wrist and at the sight of the letters, which looked as well-cared-for as his own.

"I'm glad we kept up the habit," Ryuuji admitted, somewhat abruptly. He felt that familiar heat of embarrassment curl up in his stomach, though it was somewhat different this time, like a warning. He ignored it and went on, the habit of being sincere with Rin well ingrained in him. "You were a real help all these years. Still are. When yer not bein' a slippery monkey, that is," he added, smirking.

Rin looked at Ryuuji and felt his face start flushing again as his friend expressed his gratitude. He laughed at the joke and shook his head, finishing placing the letters in the new box. "I could say the same to you, yanno." Rin closed the box gently and held it in his lap. His smile shrunk a bit and his expression turned somber.

"I always… felt bad for not keepin' up with school." The smaller teen looked up at Ryuuji, looking ashamed. "Even though ya said I could do it. I felt like I sorta let ya down."

Ryuuji's expression wavered before it settled into a small frown. "We've been over this, Rin. I know how hard ya tried. Maybe if I'd been with ya, I could've—helped or somethin', I dunno. Doesn't matter now though. Never did, really. School ain't everything." He shrugged a little helplessly, knowing the words weren't like him, but it was true. If it wasn't for his goals, he wasn't sure he would've tried as hard, certainly not with Shima constantly trying to convince him to take it easy. "You're still tryin' to do yer best to get ahead, aren'tcha? I'm proud of ya for that." He shook his head slightly. Those weren't the right words, no, even though they were true. What he'd meant was…

"I… could never think any less of ya."

Rin let Ryuuji's words wash over him and he looked at his best and only friend with gratitude. He felt the weight of shame lift a bit and he grinned brightly. "Thanks, Ryuuji." He placed the box to the side and shuffled forward on the bed, sitting closer to the taller teen. "Yanno, I was real happy when ya told me ya got into the Academy." Rin's eyes were shining with mirth. "I know I told ya before but I'm really happy for ya."

Rin's smile, Ryuuji was beginning to realize, was as calming as a sutra. He felt himself relax again at the sight of it. "Thanks," he muttered, a small smile of his own touching his lips. He wasn't just grateful for the words. It was for everything. The encouragement, the support, just the fact that Rin was there, unfailingly, always when Ryuuji needed him. The support that they've given each other all these years was something irreplaceable.

"You were a real help," he told him. "Still will be, 'm sure. School's gonna be a helluva lot tougher now with—" Ryuuji stopped. The words  _cram school_ rang in his head sharply, clearing all thoughts in his head away. Father Fujimoto's serious voice was impossible to forget.

He swallowed. Hesitated. Uncertainty clenched in his gut, but beyond that was that spark of anger.

 _'S not fair_ , he thought as he looked at Rin, the spark in his eyes, the calming sight of his smile. He didn't want to spoil any of that. But he sure as hell wasn't gonna be keeping secrets from him either.

"Rin." His voice was firm when he spoke next. Eyebrows pulled together, shoulders back, he took one resolute breath through his nose before continuing. "There's somethin' I wanted ta talk to ya 'bout…"

Rin's smile faltered slightly and his brow furrowed in confusion. "Okay?" The smaller teen tilted his head. Where had this come from so suddenly?

But before Ryuuji had a chance to continue, the bedroom door opened and Shiro knocked twice on the wood. "Time to go to sleep, boys." He smiled at the two of them. "It's getting late and Rin's got an interview tomorrow. It's best to get some rest."

Rin grimaced at the mention of the interview but he nodded. "Yeah, alright! Get lost, already." he grumbled, and Shiro chuckled out and bid them a good night before closing the door again.

A light shiver went down Ryuuji's back. Had Rin's father been listening in on them…?

His jaw clenched. He tried to keep his expression neutral as his mind whirled with thoughts.

_The interview… Dammit, Rin doesn't need this crap right now…!_

Ryuuji was conflicted. His heart felt heavy and his tongue heavier as he sat there, troubled by the predicament he found himself in. The need to talk to Rin was overwhelmingly strong, but did he dare to bring his friend down to the same awful situation he found himself in?

 _Yes!_  a deep part of him rumbled. After all, what good were smiles that kept hidden secrets and lies? And even more shameful was the thought of lying to Rin, of keeping a part of his own life secret from him just because Rin's father had asked him to.

_No way. I…_

When Rin looked back at Ryuuji, the expression on his friend's face was not one he expected. It seemed… wrong. "Ryuuji?" His eyebrows furrowed and he put a hand on one of his. "Hey, are you alright?"

The concern ate away at his guilt. Ryuuji pulled his hand away to rub the sudden tension at the front of his head, wincing.

"…Sorry. Headache." It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the full truth either. Ryuuji's skin burned where Rin had touched him. "Hey… Listen, 'bout that talk... Mind if I leave it off 'til tomorrow?" He felt a little better to be given an option—made the burden easier to handle even if it made him feel like a shitty friend.

Rin's lips tightened in disquiet but he nodded regardless. "Yeah, o' course." He grabbed the two boxes and placed them on the desk along with the charm. "Do ya want me to get somethin' to drink for ya? You don't look so good." Rin stood by the desk, eyebrows still furrowed as he wondered if he could do anything for the mysterious troubled look that had suddenly overtaken his friend.

Ryuuji's head throbbed. He managed a faint smile.

"…I'll be fine. Not bad enough to need pills."

His limbs felt awkward when he got off to his feet. He dragged his bag off of Rin's bed and set it down on the floor again. He could feel Rin's eyes on him, lingering on the tension that had set across his shoulders. Ryuuji's eyes clenched shut for a moment.

 _Tomorrow… Tomorrow,_ he promised himself, vowing not to put it off a day longer.

When he turned back around, some of the guilt had settled and he was able to feel more at ease.

"Let's jus' get to sleep."


	24. March 30, 2009 (Morning)

Rin stirred awake at the movement in his room. His eyes blinked blearily against the sun and he turned his head to see Ryuuji rummaging through his bag. Rin sniffed, smelling the scent of sweat from his bed.

"Mornin'..." he mumbled, rubbing his eyes as he turned to look at the clock. 7:30 AM. "Oh man. So early...!" he protested sleepily.

Ryuuji glanced over his shoulder, lips twitching at the sight of Rin trying to hide back inside his covers. "Mornin'. Ya gonna keep on sleepin', princess?"

He felt a little bad for waking him up, but Ryuuji had been up for two hours now and wouldn't mind the company. Rin had to get ready for that interview anyway, even if there were still a few hours before he had to get to it.

First though, a shower. Ryuuji finished fishing out his clothes from his bag, zipped it back up, and then grabbed the note he'd left on Rin's desk earlier to let him know he'd gone out, and tossed it away.

"Who're ya callin' princess?" Rin grumbled as he narrowed his eyes from halfway under the sheets. "Ya gotta be a rooster wakin' up so early." He looked at Ryuuji for a second before he started sniggering. "Yer hair looks like a rooster too..."

"Oi." Ryuuji's eyes narrowed. He resisted the urge to run his hand through his hair self-consciously. His chin lifted haughtily instead and smirked. "Better a rooster than a monkey," he said, drawling. He tugged the towel hanging around his neck and unrepentantly flung it at the other. "C'mon. If yer awake, don't stay in bed. Gotta make the most of our time."

"Hey!" Rin quickly batted the damp towel off of him and pouted, more awake now than he had been. "Yeah okay. Jeez." He grumbled but there was a small on his lips as he got out of bed and stretched. "You gonna shower?" he asked before he let his arms flop to his sides, feeling a bit more awake now even though it was way too early. Rin knew that if Ryuuji wasn't around, he would have rolled right over and fallen asleep for a couple more hours. But his friend was right. They had to take advantage of the time they had.

"Yeah. Won't take long." Though, Ryuuji did have to figure out what he was going to do about his hair... "Ya wanna show me around the place after we eat?" The taller teen picked up the fallen towel and slung it over his shoulder.

Rin nodded. "Yeah, we can go do stuff. Since I got…" He frowned in thought. "A while." He finished with a shrug and idly scratched his stomach. "I'll go make breakfast or somethin'."

"Sounds good. See ya in a bit then."

Twenty minutes later, Ryuuji made his way to the kitchen. In the end, he decided to continue to keep his hair pinned back in the same way he had when he'd gone out for his jog, at least for now. Looking in the mirror was still a little bit weird, but not in a bad way. It was still the same face. The changes he'd done to his hair, the light stubble growing on his chin, and the piercings made him look a bit rougher but it was… nice. He didn't regret it.

_Oh yeah… I oughta show him Shima's picture…_

Thinking about Renzou's hair still made him grin. Ryuuji really had to hand it to him. It wasn't as if the look didn't suit his friend, but he had guts for going through with it.

Breakfast was, unsurprisingly, delicious. It wasn't as if Ryuuji had grown up eating bad food, but Rin's cooking was exceptional. And apparently, not a single one of the priests were used to eating it this early in the morning.

"You ought to move in with us, Ryuuji-kun," Izumi said, chuckling as he set his glass down. "We've never seen Rin get up so early! He usually sleeps in until noon."

"We thought we were going to have problems getting him up in time for his interview!" Kyodo agreed with a laugh.

"Shut up." Rin grumbled with a red face. "You guys are annoying."

"Don't be like that, Rin-kun." Maruta smiled. "We all enjoy having you up this early."

"You just like it 'cause I made you food!" Rin snapped, huffing slightly. "Where's the old man, anyway?"

"Ah, Father Fujimoto is speaking to someone out in the front. So don't disturb him, alright?" Nagatomo warned him as he continued eating.

Rin craned his head and looked out the window. He caught a glimpse of his father speaking to a woman in front of the monastery. "Hm. 'S fine. Ryuuji an' me'll probably go out for a bit before I gotta go." Rin glanced at the taller teen and smiled. "'S that cool with you?"

"Yeah," Ryuuji answered after swallowing down another bite of his food. "I'm good."

Rin grinned brightly.

"Alright. Well, make sure you get Rin back in time, Ryuuji-kun," Kyodo said.

"Ya don't hafta tell _him_!"

Rin was still grumbling a bit when they were done with breakfast. The two teens walked out of the monastery in time to see Shiro waving off the woman who had a small girl with her. Rin had a biting comment at the tip of his tongue but he swallowed it down, conscious of the fact that Ryuuji was next to him.

"Hey, old man." Rin looked at him with a dubious frown. "Ryuuji an' me are goin' out for a bit."

"Alright. Don't forget to come back in time to get ready. Don't want to rush," Shiro said with a warm smile.

"Yeah, I know, I know," Rin groused before walking past him.

When they rounded the first corner, Ryuuji allowed himself to relax, glad to be away from the source of his tension. It was a little awkward meeting Father Fujimoto's eyes, even if—no,  _especially_  because the older man's face betrayed no sign of deceit. It made Ryuuji uncomfortable but the vow he'd made himself last night made it easier to bear.

Trying to put the whole issue off his mind for now, Ryuuji glanced at Rin and noticed the slight tension on his friend's shoulders. His brow furrowed but the expression cleared within moments as he realized what was bugging the other.  _He's nervous…_

Ryuuji wasn't surprised. His friend had a hard time getting a job, and an even harder time keeping one. He hoped today went well for him…

In attempt to calm down his friend by way of distraction, Ryuuji reminded Rin of their purpose.

"So? Where to?" he prompted.

Rin looked at Ryuuji, breaking out of his thoughts. "Ah, sorry, right." His expression became brighter. "This way. I wanna show you somethin'." He picked up the pace, leading the way down the sidewalk. They walked a couple blocks and when they turned the corner, Rin held out his hand grandly in the direction of a small playground. "Ta-da~!" he sang happily.

Ryuuji took in the sight before him. He'd seen this playground before—in pictures. Rin had sent him photos of it and talked about it a lot in their letters. He recognized the trees, the seesaw at the center, the stray patch of flowers growing around the edges of the walls—and of course, there it was. The famous swing set was just a few feet across from them.

"Place hasn't changed a bit, huh?" The tall teen chuckled. "Ya still come here ta play around?" he asked with a teasing smirk.

Rin grinned and hopped over the low fence. "I don't do much playin' anymore." He put his hands in his pockets and stuck out his tongue at Ryuuji. "But yeah, I come here a lot." Rin gravitated towards the swing set automatically and sat down, idly letting it swing him back and forth. "I come here when I need to think." He nodded, looking down at his heels digging into the floor. "Home's too loud sometimes."

Ryuuji followed Rin with his eyes, feeling the weight behind the statement. "…Yeah, I get that," he said after a moment, shrugging.

And he did. Spacious as his place was, it was hard to get any privacy sometimes. The members of the Myou Dha were a tight-knit group. Between Shima's family and the Houjou's, not to mention the rest of their members, Ryuuji always found himself surrounded by people even as busy as they were with the Order.

Rin looked up at his friend as he spoke and swung to the side, patting the swing seat next to him. "Speakin' of home, how'd that talk with your ma an' pops go?" he asked as he swung idly, holding on to the chains with a loose grip.

The question caused Ryuuji to instantly grimace.

"'Bout as bad as you'd expect," he grumbled as he made his way to the other swing. "Got in 'nother fight with the old geezer. Ma already guessed I wanted to go, but he was shocked as hell. No surprise there when we barely see his face 'round." Ryuuji smirked derisively. His fingers curled around the chains a little tighter than he intended when he spoke next. "An' then, when I told them I got the scholarship,  _ha!_ Should've seen their faces. Priceless."

He did feel a little bad about causing his mom all that trouble, but they'd parted on good terms in the end. His dad though… Ryuuji hadn't seen him in those last three weeks, not even once. It irked him, but he took a vindictive sort of comfort as he recalled the expression he'd put on his father face when he told him he was leaving.

"After that I found out Konekomaru and Shima were comin' like I told ya. It got real busy once the whole family knew what was goin' on. Glad I could finally get away from it all."

Rin listened, though he didn't fully understand. "Mm… What I don't get is why they're all bent outta shape in the firs' place." He twisted the seat in order to face Ryuuji. "'S not like yer not gonna go back home an' visit, right? So what's the big deal?"

Ryuuji found himself having a hard time meeting his friend's eyes. "I…" He hesitated and thought about promises, the ones he'd made to himself, to his family. To Rin.

"…I ain't plannin' on goin' back home," he revealed in a quiet voice as he stared down at his knees. "Not 'til I'm done studyin'. Not 'til I've become a proper exorcist."  _Not 'til I defeat Satan_ , he thought, hating himself for not saying it out loud. For all his talk of sincerity, of following through with his words, not once in all these years had he told Rin this part of his goals. It was irrational. It was ridiculous. He  _trusted_ Rin. And yet… even now the thought of hearing Rin laugh at him in that same dismissive way everyone else had done filled him with dread.

 _He doesn't even know what it really means to be an exorcist,_ he reminded himself bitterly, frustrated with it all.

"Oh." Rin looked at Ryuuji, his brow furrowing and he turned his gaze back to the floor. There was a long silence before he spoke again. "I get it." He nodded, pushing back with his legs and letting the seat swing back and forth in an idle pattern. "Yeah. I think I get it. 'Cause whenever I lose my job… goin' back home is hard." Rin smiled at Ryuuji as he passed. "Ya wanna go home a big success, right? Ya wanna feel proud an' know that they're all gonna be proud of ya too."

Rin nodded and leaned back, gripping the chains as he let his head hang upside down. "Yeah, I get it," he repeated. "In that case, you're gonna hafta study hard. 'Cause 'm sure they're gonna miss ya."

Ryuuji grimaced slightly. "They'll do jus' fine without me…" he muttered. But Rin's words did hit the heart of the problem.

_I'll live the way I want, I said… but I really do wish pops would…_

"Argh…! I don't wanna think 'bout this anymore. Change of subject!" Ryuuji demanded, scowling. Restless energy had gathered in his legs. The taller teen put his weight on his heels and rocked back and forth on the swing as he tried to stop thinking about the topic of fathers.

Rin laughed. "Alright, alright!" He twisted the chains on his seat again and turned, hooking his ankles around one of Ryuuji's legs. "So you were all sweaty this mornin'," he said, obliging in the change of subject. "Where'dja go?"

Ryuuji gripped onto the chains a little tighter and huffed exasperatedly as he stared at his captive leg. "I went out for a run. Not far, just around your neighborhood." He glanced at Rin disapprovingly and leaned over to tug on the bangs hanging off the front of his eyes. "I tried to sleep in this mornin', but I had a hard time falling back asleep. Not used to it," he explained, grinning slightly at the face Rin made.

Rin let out a whine of protest as Ryuuji tugged on his hair but he curled his ankle a bit tighter on his leg. "Running?" He tilted his head towards his friend's hand. "Jeez, how early didja even get up?"

"Five-thirty." Ryuuji's face acquired a smug expression. "Not everyone sleeps in until noon, ya know." The barb was accompanied by another tug on the other's hair.

"Five-thirty in the morning?!" Rin's eyes were as wide as dinner plates. He tilted his head further at the tug, too shocked to really protest. "But only  _crazy_  people wake up at five-thirty!"

"Oi!  _Normal_  people wake up at five-thirty. Well, not everyone," Ryuuji amended, "but there's a helluva lot of people who do." After one last warning tug, he let go of Rin's hair and flicked his forehead away. "Anyway, leggo of me already. We oughta get goin' soon, yeah?"

Rin rubbed his forehead with a huff before unhooking his legs as asked. "Yeah…" he murmured, his expression turning serious. He felt his normal insecurities rising in his chest and his eyebrows knitted together as he gripped the chains a bit tighter. The interview ahead seemed more like a brick wall than a hurdle. He felt a lump in his throat and he wished the priests would have just waited. He had wanted a week of happiness. Just a week of not caring about the future and enjoying Ryuuji's presence.

"Somethin'…" Rin began in a small voice, staring at the ground. "Somethin' is gonna go wrong again, isn't it…?"

After hearing that subdued tone, Ryuuji found himself studying Rin out of the corner of his eye. The tension on his shoulders and the lines of worry on his face had returned. He looked miserable. All the effort he had gone through to distract Rin had fallen through.

He swung to the side slightly, bumping into the other's shoulder to catch his attention. "Hey," he said in a quiet voice of his own, "quit it. Yer gonna do jus' fine." He mustered up what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "Just relax. An' smile too. No one's gonna hire yer ugly mug when you're lookin' like that," he teased.

Rin swung to the side from Ryuuji's bump and he looked at his best friend with a bit of gratitude. Though the words did little to ease his worries, he smiled regardless. Ryuuji was there for him. Whether things went wrong or right, he'd still be his friend. So that was okay, right? Rin's expression seemed to relax further at this realization. "Well 'least I'm prettier than you are." He punched Ryuuji's shoulder playfully before getting up and heading towards the exit of the playground, grinning over his shoulder.

Ryuuji felt a flash of relief, which was quickly pushed away as a smirk rose up across his face. "I ain't gonna argue that,  _princess!_ " He quickly followed to catch up with him, leaving the swing bouncing behind.

"Who're ya callin' princess?!"


	25. March 30, 2009 (Afternoon)

By the time they returned to the monastery, Kyodo already had a large box with a suit ready for Rin to take. Rin protested, saying such a thing wasn't needed for a part-time job interview but ended up taking the suit anyway at the priests' insistence.

"Jeez…" Rin grumbled as he pulled on the jacket over the button-up shirt. He finally pulled the tie out of the box and stared at it perplexed. He pulled it around his neck and wrapped it around, tried knotting it, pulled it apart; trying again, he somehow ended up with it stuck over his forehead.

"Argh!" He let out a frustrated growl, tugging it off and messing up his hair in the process. "How do you even put this thing on!?"

Ryuuji snickered meanly as he watched Rin struggle, his arms and chin resting on the back of the chair he was straddling. "Havin' a little trouble there?"

Rin flushed and threw the tie at him with a glare. "Fine then, if  _you're_  so good,  _you_  do it!" He growled accusingly.

"Hey!" Ryuuji growled back as the tie hit him straight on. He snatched the thing off his face.  _How hard could it be…?_ he wondered then, shooting the other a superior smirk as he slung it over his neck.

A few minutes later, he admitted defeat.

"How the hell do ya freakin' tie this?"

Ryuuji looked ridiculous. His casual outfit consisting of ripped jeans and a black tank top looked at odds with the rumpled tie around his neck. He quickly tugged on the mess of a knot he'd made, unraveling the tie before throwing it back at Rin.

Rin caught the tie with a triumphant smirk. "See? Not as easy as ya thought, huh?" His tone was teasing but he knew he still had a problem. He sighed and decided to roll it up and stuff it in his pocket. "Whatever. It's easier like this. I'll just say it's like… smart-casual… or somethin'," Rin muttered, adjusting the jacket and the collar of his shirt. "Whaddya think?"

"Looks fine to me." But that didn't mean Ryuuji was the best person to ask. He told Rin as much. "Maybe we oughta ask one of the priests. 'M sure they know how to do it," he suggested.

Rin shrugged vaguely. "I guess," he muttered before he sighed and glanced at the time. "Well, I guess 'm off." He fidgeted with the hems of his jacket.

" _Smile_ ," Ryuuji reminded him sharply, shaking his head a little as he got up to his feet. He picked up his jacket and slung it over his shoulder before replacing the clip holding up his hair with a baseball cap. "No need to be so nervous. Just relax."

"You know why 'm so nervous," Rin shot back under his breath, but still, he flashed Ryuuji an exaggerated smile before sighing and walking out of the room with him, a neutral expression on his face. The two of them headed down the stairs and walked through the chapel where Shiro was speaking to one of the priests. He turned and smirked when he saw Rin as Nagatomo walked past them.

"Kyodo let you borrow that?" Shiro grinned and Rin was already scowling.

"Yeah. 'S for the interview," he muttered resentfully.

"And the necktie?" The old priest had a knowing smirk.

"I-It's faster without it!" Rin stammered red-faced, his spine straightening.

Shiro snorted and shot a glance at Ryuuji before holding out his hand. "You just don't know how to tie it, do you? Come on, I'll show you. Close the top button and raise the collar."

Rin flushed slightly but grudgingly pulled out the tie from his pocket and did as he was told. Shiro took the tie and put it around Rin's neck as the shorter teen lifted his chin and watched his father's hands attentively.

"Man, you're only growing up physically," Shiro remarked under his breath as he began the process. "You were so cute when you were little, going 'papa, papa' all the time." He chuckled softly.

"That was like ages ago!" Rin protested with flushed cheeks, looking away. "I'm grown-up now, alright? You're embarrassing me!"

"Grown-up?" Shiro gripped the tie and looked around exaggeratingly, "I don't see any grown-ups around!" The old priest looked at Rin through the corner of his eyes and laughed boisterously as Rin objected loudly.

Shiro put a hand on Rin's forehead and pushed him back, causing the smaller teen to stumble a few steps. "If it's that embarrassing, show me how much you've grown!"

"Don't look down on me!" Rin growled as he pulled down his collar and adjusted the completed tie, "I'll prove it to you that I can do it myself!" He pointed accusingly at his father. "Open your eyes wide and look!"

"That's not how the saying goes." Shiro smirked, unimpressed.

"Shut up, shitty old man!" Rin snarled under his breath and shoved his hands into his pockets. "C'mon, Ryuuji…" He practically stomped his way out of the monastery. Though he seemed to be fuming, gone were all the nervous lines from his face and the tense shoulders. He seemed more focused and concentrated on the task ahead, a new, determined fire in his eyes.

Ryuuji followed after him quietly.

_You really weren't kidding, huh? You've got a good dad…_

Watching that exchange made something in Ryuuji's chest tighten. He was… surprised; not completely, not after having heard those words for most of his life. Hearing and seeing it were two different things though. Ryuuji had thought the blinds had been taken off yesterday. He thought he'd gotten a glimpse of the priest's true face last night. He had, kind of. But that didn't mean that was all there was to the older man.

It was confusing; made him feel all tangled up. It was hard to stay angry at Rin's dad after seeing that gentle, affectionate teasing. It reminded him of…

 _No,_ Ryuuji told himself firmly, refusing to go down that path again.  _No point in lookin' back. What's done's done. I gotta—I've moved on._

He tugged on the brim of his hat, drew a quiet breath, and pushed it all back. Looking at Rin's back reminded him of his own determination.

 _One step at a time._ It was a thought that applied to both of them.

And no matter how complicated life could be, how complicated  _people_ could be, knowing that they had each other made it all easier to bear.

The interview had gone by well enough. Rin was given a uniform and a nametag with  _Okumura_  quickly written on it and thus, his trial period began.

Rin tried his best. His first task to move several large boxes to the front of the store had been a somewhat success. However, on the very last box, he'd messed up horribly, dropping it on his boss'—a short but fierce woman named Momoi—head. Rin had gotten scolded and was forced to clean up the mess he'd made.

He tried to make up for it by making quick work of collecting the carts outside in the parking lot, but even that had had disastrous results. A wheel hit the curb, causing the long line of carts to burst into a tangled mess and of course, with Rin's luck, his boss ended up being in the middle of it all. Rin got scolded again.

He was then moved inside where he broke a faucet in an attempt to fill up the mopping bucket, and when doing the actual mopping, he slipped and knocked over the dirty water, spreading it on the floor and causing several of the patrons and a couple workers to fall on the slippery floor. He was scolded once more.

Rin ran a hand over his face as he quickly moved to dry up the large puddle of dirty water he'd made. His hands were shaking and his shoulders were tense again. He was going to mess something else up, he just knew it.

Ryuuji watched all this from a distance. He tried to seem discreet, browsing through the aisles for something to buy, picking up a bottle of gel along the way as he kept an eye on Rin. His stomach turned as he saw his friend struggle through his tasks, and he winced every time he saw him get scolded.

 _Yikes…_ Ryuuji thought as he watched his friend practically curl into himself as he mopped the floor with quick, rough movements, surrounded by an unapproachable aura of misery.

He couldn't hold back anymore. He had to do something.

He cleared his throat. "Uh, hey! Sorry ta bother ya. Was, uh, wonderin' if ya could help me with somethin'?" He raised his voice slightly to catch Rin's attention, beckoning him close with a tense smile as he took advantage of the fact the other employees were out of earshot.

Rin looked up at Ryuuji's voice and stared at him before nodding quickly and placing his mop against the wall. "Y-Yes, what can I help you with, sir?" he called out as he trotted over, but by the time he was close enough, he was whispering fervently. "I'm not gonna get it... This is a disaster...!" He struggled to seem calm to any onlookers.

"Dude,  _calm down_ ," Ryuuji hissed at him quietly, resisting the urge to smack some sense into him physically. "You freakin' out ain't gonna help anythin'. Just  _breathe_. An' don't be so rough with things!"

Ryuuji had gotten a glimpse of how strong Rin was yesterday when they were messing around, but witnessing the stunts Rin had pulled today left him with his mouth hanging open a couple times. How Rin held back all the time was a mystery Ryuuji couldn't grasp. On the other hand…

"Look, I'm kinda gettin' why yer havin' so much difficulties. Useful as yer strength is, it makes things tough too. But you didn't hurt me yesterday, 'member? You jus' gotta relax. Don't try so hard. Just be yerself," he told him firmly.

Rin swallowed audibly and tried to take Ryuuji's words to heart. He focused on the time they'd spent together last night. How even through the roughhousing, his best friend had somehow gotten out unharmed. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, doing his best to release the tension in his shoulders.

"R…Right. Okay…" Rin gave a resolute nod, even though his hands still had a slight tremor. "I'll do my best…" He glanced around before he gave him an award-winning smile and bowed quickly. He then headed back to the mop to finish cleaning up.

Be yourself. Be yourself. That shouldn't be hard, right? Rin did his best to concentrate on the task at hand. Once he was done, he took the mop back to the closet in the back of the store. He closed the door and sighed tiredly.

"Having some trouble, new kid?"

Rin turned to see one of the lady workers standing at a small grill, making sample noodles. A glance at her nametag showed her name to be Kijita. He smiled a bit and gave her a tired nod.

"Well, come on. Here, you can try this." Kijita offered him one of the samples and Rin moved to accept it. However, once he put the noodles in his mouth, the taste was bitter enough to cause his lips to screw up.

"Ah…" She sighed knowingly. "I figured. Boss bought a lot of these because they were cheap, but they don't seem to be selling."

Rin stared at the grill and moved his tongue around in his mouth. Without prompt or really thinking about it, he knew what it needed.  _Be yourself._  "Um…" Rin began, glancing up at the woman. "Could… I try cooking it?"

Kijita looked at him and her expression changed. It was warm and when she handed him the spatula, she was smiling. "No harm in giving it a shot."

"Thank you." Rin put the plastic fork back in his mouth, giving it another taste, this time concentrating for a moment. "Um! Could you get me some green onions, soy sauce, and a green pepper?" The woman stared at him and Rin straightened up. "Please!"

Kijita blinked before nodding and heading off to retrieve the requested objects. Once she returned, Rin got right to work. He moved expertly, pouring just the right amount of sauce and slicing the vegetables. He maneuvered the spatula on the grill, mixing everything perfectly.

It wasn't long until the hall was radiating a wonderful smell and customers began gravitating towards the grill, murmuring expectantly. Rin's face was flushed with a smile and he, with his coworker's help, began plating the samples as he got on to cooking more.

Finally, the first sample was picked up by a housewife. Rin couldn't help but pause, staring at the woman as she tried it. His chest loosened with relief as her eyes immediately lit up.

"Oh my goodness!" she cried. "This tastes wonderful!"

Encouraged by her lavish praise, more customers stepped forward, grabbing samples. They were soon cleaning the table faster than Rin could cook. Kijita was already advertising the sauce and the people who had already tried it were bustling to buy a bottle. Rin was shouting out into the crowd, calling the attention of the customers even if the smell already did that on its own.

It wasn't long before their boss caught the bustle of the crowd and she moved over with a fierce look in her eye. Rin gulped loudly and froze in terror as she picked up a sample and tried it.

There was a long silence. Even the customers seemed to be holding their breath.

When Momoi looked at Rin next, she spoke with a stern tone. "Staff meetings are at 8 AM every morning. Do your best from now on," she said before walking away. Rin blinked twice and it wasn't until Kijita gave him a congratulatory slap on the back, crying, "You got the job! Good going, new kid," that a bright smile enveloped his face.

 _Ryuuji!_  Rin's eyes were already searching around for the familiar face. Had he seen?

 _Yes...!_  Ryuuji thought as he heard the news. The moment he met Rin's eyes, a broad grin instantly spread across his lips.

"Knew ya could do it!" he said once they were outside. The taller teen hooked his arm around the Rin's neck and tugged him close as pride and relief battled it out in his chest. He ruffled the other's hair lightly. "So freakin' proud of ya."

Rin laughed, his face flushed red with relief. He pressed a hand to Ryuuji's chest as his hair was messed up and sniggered out loud, too happy to protest. "Thanks!" He smiled up at his friend earnestly. "I'm really glad ya came with me. I probably couldn't have done it withoutcha."

"Dork," Ryuuji huffed exasperatedly. "Have a lil more faith in yerself, will ya?" He let go of the other with a bit of a push, tilting his head towards the store afterwards. His grin had yet to fade away. "Go on then, get back in there. I'll head back to yer place an' tell everyone the good news."

Rin grinned brightly and nodded. "Okay! I'll be home in a couple hours." He waved to Ryuuji, watching him go before going back into the store to continue his work. However, he wasn't inside for more than a few minutes before he passed by the window to watch a small girl chasing after a scarf that was blowing away in the wind.

"Give it back!" she cried, "please!"

Rin acted on instinct as the scarf got closer. He ran outside the store, snagging the pink fabric from the air. "Here you go." He smiled and bent down to hand it to her. But the girl didn't smile. In fact, she seemed to be staring at the scarf in fear. Rin furrowed his eyebrows as the wind picked up, tugging the scarf in his hand…

But there was no wind.

Something flickered in his vision and Rin had to blink several times before he could make sense of it. A little… something… A monster, it had to have been. It wasn't like any animal he knew. But before he could stare at it any longer, the monster yanked the scarf out of his hand and ran towards the store.

"H-HEY!" Rin did the one thing he thought to do and ran after it. But as he ran through the aisles chasing the scarf and the monster, no one seemed to notice the tiny thing. They all just stared at him, running through the store… Rin didn't have time to think about it. It wasn't long before the monkey-looking monster climbed up several boxes and started hopping on them, making the display teeter back and forth.

The girl was there at the bottom. When had she followed him in!?

The tower was falling.

Rin ran forward and dove over the girl, not thinking for a moment as the display collapsed. He winced as boxes and cans hit his back as he tried to curl protectively around the small girl. But even after it had all settled, and a woman was shrieking as she ran up to them, the girl was knocked unconscious.

"Yui!" the woman cried out, holding her daughter.

Rin wasn't sure what happened after that. He didn't see the monster again. His nametag was ripped off his uniform. After being forced to give back the apron, Rin hurried out of the store, hugging his jacket close with the tie open around his neck. He was breathing too hard, remembering Ryuuji's smile as he told him how proud he was. He thought of the fact that he'd gone back to tell the priests the good news.

How was he supposed to go back now and tell them that not minutes after Ryuuji left, he got fired…? And he didn't even know what he did.

_What's wrong with me?!_


	26. March 30, 2009 (Evening)

"No way! Did he really?" Ryuuji asked wide-eyed, so surprised that the knife he was holding almost slipped out of his hand.

Izumi snickered without a sense of restraint. "Oh, yes. And Rin absolutely loved it! Don't let him convince you otherwise. He always used to get so excited when we were teaching them a new song." The spiky-haired man shook his head, his expression lively with amusement. All of the priests had been in this good mood since Ryuuji had come home and relayed the news of Rin's success. A comfortable, excited atmosphere had taken over the monastery, and everyone had felt so relieved that it had worked out that they decided to make sukiyaki for tonight's dinner.

Currently, they were chopping up the ingredients for it and setting up the table.

"Oh, and you should've seen the cute little uniforms we had them wear too! We've got a few pictures around somewhere, I'm sure. I'll see if I can try to find them before dinner," Izumi promised with a broad grin.

"You don't hafta trouble yourself on my account…" Ryuuji protested a little even though he really wanted to see the pictures of Rin in his choir uniform.

His true feelings must have really shown on his face. Izumi chuckled. "C'mon, Ryuuji-kun. No need to be so reserved with us. Relax," he reminded the teen, nudging his side slightly.

Ryuuji ducked his head and flushed slightly. He opened his mouth to deliver an appropriate response when a small commotion caught his attention.

"Huh? What's going on over there?"

Maruta cautiously glanced outside the kitchen window and winced slightly, in a way that made everyone glance at him curiously. Ryuuji leaned out to see what was going on with his own eyes, and much to his surprise, he spotted Father Fujimoto dealing with an angry redheaded woman—one Ryuuji recognized.

_Oh, no…_

He couldn't fully hear what the woman was saying. They were too far away, and she was speaking in a fast, angry voice. He got a clear view of the paper she was holding up to Shiro though. A damage report. Ryuuji's breath caught in his throat. He put the knife down.

Gone was the excitement that had been building up over the past two hours. The easy grins everyone had acquired faded away as everyone began to form the same thoughts.

 _Shit. Don't tell me…_ Ryuuji thought desperately, praying, hoping that their suspicions were wrong, but the somber face on Father Fujimoto's face as he listened to the redheaded woman said everything that needed to be said.

Ryuuji didn't waste any time considering what to do. He picked up his jacket and began to hurry out of the kitchen.

"Ryuuji-kun?"

Someone called out after him. Ryuuji couldn't even look at any of them, too preoccupied with the knots forming in his stomach. The only words he could manage to say before he left the monastery were:

"…I gotta…'m goin' out to look for him."

* * *

It didn't take long to find him. Ryuuji locked on to the most likely location—the only location he knew Rin would go to. He suddenly felt so damn glad that Rin had gotten around showing him the place. His feet took him down the same path they'd walked this morning, and as the playground came into view—

Ryuuji's heart sank to his stomach.

There was Rin.

He was in the same swing he'd sat on this morning, staring down at his feet. He looked dejected, staring glassy-eyed at the fixed point, barely even moving.

Something  _had_  happened.

Ryuuji already had idea of what that 'something' was.

"...Rin."

Rin's fingers tightened on the chains as he heard the familiar voice. He felt a well of shame rising up his throat. His eyes stung with tears of frustration as he let his head hang, his gaze shifting to his lap.

"I…" he murmured, his voice barely steady, "I can't…"

Ryuuji's heart clenched at the faint voice.  _Rin…_

He approached his friend with slow, heavy steps until he had carefully closed the distance between them. Standing next to Rin like this only made him want to reach out, throw an arm over his shoulder, let the heavy weight of his hand rest on top of the mussed up hair in comfort.

"Are ya…?" Ryuuji swallowed down the pointless question. "You wanna… talk 'bout it?" he asked instead, the words tumbling out of his lips awkwardly.

Rin shook his head and immediately felt guilt for shutting out his friend. But in reality, what could he say to him? That he saw a tiny monster steal a little girl's scarf and it trashed the store while he was chasing it? Not even Ryuuji would believe him.

"It's…" Rin spoke softly. "I don't know… I don't know what happened, it was too fast…"

Ryuuji's eyebrows knitted together as he frowned. "What was?" he prompted before he could help himself. He wanted to understand. The memory of the how angry Rin's boss had been when she dropped by flashed in his mind. Just what had happened…? Everything had been going well when he had left Rin…

"I'm telling you, I don't know!" Rin shook his head before his shoulders slumped. "There was a girl… I tried to help her but she got hurt…" He shook his head again, remembering the thing that had been responsible. Was he seeing things? Was he going insane? Rin let go of the chains and pressed his hands over his face, his elbows digging into his knees. "I don't know," he repeated again.

 _Shit…_ Ryuuji thought as he watched his friend, feeling helpless. What could he do? What could he say?

_"Somethin' is gonna go wrong again, isn't it…?"_

"Rin…"

Just how many times had this happened now? Rin had always been vague when talking about his part-time jobs. Half of the time, Ryuuji didn't even press his friend about why he got fired, knowing Rin felt bad enough as it is. It certainly wasn't due to lack of effort or willingness. He saw how hard Rin tried.

 _A little too hard…_ Ryuujiwinced at his own thoughts, batting them away. He closed the last step between them to put a hand on his friend's shoulder, trying to give him all the support that he could.

"Hey. Look," he murmured a little roughly, "let's getcha home. We can talk about it there if ya want... or not. Whatever ya want. But c'mon. 'M sure everyone's worried about where you're." He squeezed the tense shoulder. "Ya oughta eat too," he told him in a quieter voice. "We've got food waitin' for ya," he said, trying to lift Rin's spirit a little.

Rin looked up. The heavy weight of Ryuuji's hand on his shoulder was somewhat of an anchor. His fingers reached up and he squeezed his friend's wrist for a moment before he nodded and stood. He knew he had to go home at some point and going home alone seemed too difficult. At least with Ryuuji there he wouldn't have to face those disappointed faces on his own.

They took their time getting home. The two of them didn't really talk, but Ryuuji made sure to stay by Rin's side the entire time, silently offering him comfort. His urgency had faded now that he had found Rin, but the walk back to the monastery didn't take long. When they finally walked past the gate side by side, Ryuuji looked up and was surprised to see Father Fujimoto standing at the front entrance.

"Who's that?" he muttered, looking at the stranger talking to Rin's dad.

Shiro looked up as he saw the two boys entering the gates. "Welcome back," he called out.

The stranger turned around and his eyes looked between the two boys briefly before settling on Rin. "Are you Okumura Rin?" he asked and Rin looked at him with a curious frown.

"Yeah," he answered. "Who are you?"

"I'm Yui's father." The man stepped aside, revealing a small girl hiding behind his leg. She had a large bandage on her forehead and Rin felt a wave of relief as he saw the small smile on her lips. "Thank you for saving her," he continued, much to Ryuuji's confusion. The tall teen watched quietly as Rin stepped forward, glancing between the man and the little girl.

"Her wounds?" Rin asked even though he could see she was doing alright.

"Thanks to you, just a few scratches," the man answered with a grateful smile.

Rin smiled back, the tension in his body loosening. "That's good." He directed his smile to Yui whose expression brightened in return as she tightened her grip on her father's pants.

"Yui's always been a careless child." Yui's father spoke in a soft but stern tone, much to Yui's dismay. "She has a lot of accidents. Falling from stairs and stuff."

Rin stared at the man for a moment and the words came out of his mouth immediately. "That's not it." He remembered the thing… Was this not the first time? It couldn't be. Had Yui been… "She's not careless!" Rin's tone was surer, more fervent. "She's being bullied! She gets her hair pulled and her stuff taken…"

But his words seemed to affect his own father for when Shiro spoke, his tone was urgent. "Did you see it?"

"What did he look like?" Yui's father cut in immediately, his brow tense.

"It was…" Rin glanced back towards Ryuuji, his nervousness returning. "He was… small. And had a face like a monkey…" he replied in soft words, unsure.

"What?!" Yui's father grimaced. He began walking off towards the gates, holding his daughter's hand tightly.

"Where are you going?" Shiro called after him.

"I'm going to call the school and get them to punish the ones that are bullying Yui!"

"That's not it!" Yui cried out, pulling on her father's arm insistently. "It's not humans who bully me! It's evil ghosts!"

The seemingly childish words had a rippling effect. Though Shiro's face remained completely expressionless, Ryuuji straightened up in surprise. He glanced at Rin, whose face had paled slightly.

 _Evil ghosts?_  Rin's brows furrowed. Was that what that monster had been?

Yui's father didn't seem surprised by this however. "Yui has an active imagination. We've heard these tales before," he said in a tired tone.

Rin felt a rush of indignation overcome him and he couldn't control his outburst. "She's not imagining it!"

"Rin!" Shiro hissed warningly but the younger teen plowed forward, not having heard his father's voice or simply ignoring it.

"Why can't you believe her?" Rin clenched his fists and glared. "If not even her parents believe her, who can she depend on!? You have to—AGH!"

Rin let out a grunt as Shiro drove his fist into his hair and walked forward, leaving the teen holding his head and complaining. But Shiro didn't listen. He walked forward and knelt in front of Yui, pulling a small glass bottle from his pocket.

"This is a four-leaf clover charm." He spoke softly and with a gentle smile. "It should protect you."

"Thank you…" Yui took the bottle and held it to her chest.

Shiro's smile softened before he changed his gaze up to her father. His face and voice went stern. "Don't blame her, please. She depends on you, her parents, the most."

After a long silence, the man stared at his daughter and nodded. "Come on, Yui. Let's go home."

Yui nodded softly and the pair walked out the gates.

"…Will that really help her?" Ryuuji blurted out as soon as they were out of sight, unable to help himself. He glanced between Rin and his dad, trying to process together everything that had just happened.

Shiro nodded stiffly but barely spared Ryuuji a glance. He zeroed in on Rin almost immediately. "You're a thousand years too early to be scolding others." His voice rose in irritation as the smaller teen rubbed his injured scalp. "But besides that, Rin. You're forbidden to go out for a while," he continued with a stern glare.

"Huh!?" Rin's eyes widened. "Why?!"

"The boss from that shop came by earlier with this." Shiro pulled a paper out of his coat and held it out for Rin to see. "It's a demand for all the shop equipment and goods you destroyed."

"What!?" Rin backed away from it as if he'd been burned. He'd never seen so many digits…

Ryuuji winced as he caught sight of the number again.

"Dude, how did ya even manage…?" he muttered under his breath.

Rin couldn't help but wince at Ryuuji's comment but Shiro was already continuing.

"This can't go on, Rin!" He pushed the bill back into his coat. "You're skipping dinner! Now go! To your room!"

"What?!" Rin exclaimed again, unable to really come up with anything else. "But—!"

Shiro was staring at him with an intensity that made his protest shrivel up in his throat. Rin scowled and walked back into the monastery, shoving the door open so that the knob broke a hole into the wall when it collided. Rin didn't look back and just headed straight to his room. He felt that familiar anger, frustration, and, most of all, shame filling his chest.

An uncomfortable silence lingered in the air.

"…That seems… a little harsh, don'tcha think, sir?"

Ryuuji's voice was hesitant. He stared at the indent in the wall with shock and no small amount of unease, but he turned to look at Rin's dad, mustering up all his courage to do so. A frown flickered on his face as he took in the man's harsh expression. A thousand things flashed across his mind. He latched on to the one that bothered him the most. When he spoke, his voice was quiet and just as hesitant as before, but he pressed on, driven by his desire to get to the bottom of everything. "He can seem them now, can't he? Shouldn't ya…?" The word _explain_ was barely able to leave his lips. Ryuuji fell silent as Shiro slowly stalked forward, saying nothing as he headed into the monastery and pulled the door forward to inspect the hole left in the wood.

"Ryuuji-kun."

Shiro's voice was tense as he beckoned the boy inside so he could close the door. "You don't understand the situation as well as you think you do. You may be his friend, but I am his father. I advise that you do not tell me how I should raise my son."

The harsh words sent a chill down Ryuuji's back and he looked away. His expression twisted as he struggled to swallow down the unease Rin's father caused in him. He wanted to squirm and apologize; his ingrained good manners bubbled beneath his skin, threatening to surface—but it was a bout born out of a years-long resentment that colored his next words.

"…I…may not know what's goin' on here…" he muttered, his voice gaining strength, "but I do know this…! Yer supposed ta be family, arent'cha?!" He met Shiro's eyes, and Ryuuji wasn't sure what type of expression he was making this time, but his head felt as full as his heart right now, tight with bitterness and a desire to protect his best friend.

"I… hate people like you the most," he said harshly, not looking away from the priest's eyes for a second. He continued on in the same tone, just as fierce, his fists clenching at his sides. "Rin looks up to ya… He always has. So whatever it is yer hidin', no matter what reason it is, the longer ya keep things secret, the worse it'll be when he finds out."

Staring at the older man right now only made Ryuuji think of that painfully gentle voice, of the fatherly way this man had encouraged Rin to try his best—of the way Rin's unease had faded so easily.

He had a hard time swallowing down his anger. Ryuuji wished he could truly hate this man, wished things weren't as complicated as they seemed. He didn't know what the older man was hiding, but it felt like something big… something bad. Still…

_If ya really care about him, don't freakin' lie to him! You'll jus' hurt him…!_

He couldn't bring himself to say it. He'd overstepped his bounds enough as it is. But he didn't regret it, not one bit.

Shiro's expression softened into one of understanding… but it was the understanding an adult would give a child. It was that expression of pity and longing. He shook his head lightly. "He's not ready. And neither are you." His voice was calmer now. "You may think that the world is divided into lies and truths but rarely is it ever so black and white. I fear you'll come to understand that sooner than you might think."

There was an air of finality in the priest's voice as he turned and walked down the aisle between the rows of pews.

"If you want to help Rin," he spoke without looking back, "stay with him. Starting now."

Shiro disappeared behind a door at the back of the small altar and it clicked shut, the sound punctuating his last sentence.

His order.


	27. March 31, 2009 (Morning)

Ryuuji's heart pounded to the beat of his soles hitting the ground. Sweat glided down his straining muscles, down his forehead and the side of his neck, but he paid it no attention and continued to focus on the steady pace of his breath as he tried to sort out his thoughts.

Yesterday's events swirled in his mind, each thought too obtrusive to push aside but too heavy to deal with. Ryuuji almost regretted leaving his music player back at the monastery, but he knew today was one of those days—no matter how much he tried to drown out his thoughts, they would keep coming to the surface.

_"…the world is…rarely… so black and white."_

_"I'll tell him in my own time."_

_"You don't need to worry anymore…"_

_"…just let it be, son…"_

_As if I freakin' could,_ Ryuuji thought, closing his eyes tightly for a moment. He turned a corner and his thoughts turned with the motion, back to Rin's room, to the quiet, somber mood he'd walked into last night. They hadn't spoken to each other, neither knowing what to say, both stuck in their own thoughts.

_'M sorry, Rin…_

Ryuuji had muttered that same apology last night as he lay restless on the top bunk, his face half-buried into his pillow. He hadn't had the courage to say it to his friend's face. It had already taken all of his strength to confront Rin's dad. Thinking back on it, he still didn't regret losing his temper despite knowing he'd been out of line. But the conclusion of it all had left him… conflicted.

Just what was going on? What was Rin's dad hiding? Why had he looked at him with that accursed knowing gaze? It was frustrating. It was all so damn frustrating. Why couldn't things be  _simple_?

"Haah… haah…"

Ryuuji slowly came to a stop. He felt the adrenaline he'd built up gradually fade away, but the stress he'd gained over the past few days still remained with him. There was too much going on, to the point that it felt like no amount of running or meditation was going to help him sort it out. The steadfast determination he always held in his heart was wavering, daunted by the puzzling words Father Fujimoto had imparted to him.

"Tch…" Ryuuji used the towel around his neck to wipe off the sweat on his face as he headed back to the monastery. He took his time enjoying the scenery now, trying to distract himself. Unlike yesterday, the streets were full of people walking around. A quick glance at his phone informed him it was close to 9 AM.

_Can't believe I slept in… Wonder when he's gonna wake…up?_

Ryuuji stopped in his tracks as he noticed a familiar figure up ahead.

"Rin…?!"

Ryuuji could clearly recognize his friend amongst the shady group of guys he was following. Rin's posture was wary and tense, but he looked willing, which made Ryuuji all the more apprehensive.

 _Who the hell are those guys?_  he thought, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. He had a bad feeling about this. Keeping quiet, he decided to follow after them discreetly.

It was hard to remain inconspicuous, but by keeping his distance he managed to remain unseen the whole way. When they took a turn into a secluded spot, Ryuuji finally allowed himself to get close, just in time to listen in to what was going on.

"So what is it?" Rin pushed his hands in his pockets, frowning at the white-haired teen in the center of the group.

"We wanted to apologize for what happened a couple days ago." Despite his words, Shiratori smiled and didn't seem in the least bit apologetic. "So how much do you want?"

"Huh?" Rin's face screwed up with confusion.

"To keep silent," the white-haired teen elaborated. "I'm the son of some pretty rich people and I'm heading to True Cross Academy in a couple days. It'd be a bother if what I did got out, you know?"

Rin grimaced and shook his head. "You don't need to pay me. I won't say anything. If that's all, I'll be leaving." He turned and began walking away.

"Come on!" Shiratori began laughing. "What are you doing, playing the cool guy act? Be true to yourself! I bet you don't have two coins to rub together!" He took out his wallet and flashed a 10,000 yen bill. "Your little brother got into the Academy too, didn't he? On that scholarship. How pitiful! He can't even pay his own debts and—"

Though it was clear he had tried to keep his cool, the words made Rin snap. He ran up and immediately swung his fist at the teen's jaw. "You can say whatever the hell you like about me… But don't you dare go badmouthing my brother!" he snarled.

Shiratori was on the floor, rubbing his jaw. "You… bastard…" he growled. "That  _hurt!"_

Something sinister settled in the air and Rin gasped. His face went pale. He was staring at Shiratori in terror as the white-haired teen slowly stood.

"Hold him."

Rin flinched as he was unexpectedly grabbed and shoved to the floor. His face was being pushed into the dirt by the other three boys as Shiratori reached into his jacket.

" _Oi!_ " Ryuuji wasted no time and revealed himself. "Get the hell away from him!" he demanded as he rushed forward to pull the nearest guy within his reach off of Rin.

"Ryuuji?!" Rin paused his struggling but he only had time to gasp out the name when Shiratori swung his leg over his head, right into Ryuuji's jaw. The force was strong, causing the teen to fly back. "RYUUJI!" Rin screamed as he thrashed but the three boys kept him down.

"Well, look at this!" Shiratori started laughing, grabbing Ryuuji by the front of his shirt. "You come here to save your boyfriend?! How  _touching!_ " Shiratori backhanded the taller teen. The impact caused three bloody lines to split open on Ryuuji's cheek.

_What the…?_

Ryuuji's head spun. His back ached fiercely from the rough landing, but more prominent was the sharp sting at his cheek. He could feel blood trickling down the side of his face and as Ryuuji forced himself to open his eyes, his heart jolted. A swarm of black floating little things crossed his vision, and when he focused on the guy before him, a gasp escaped him.

_Horns?_

"What…?" he hissed. "A demon…?"

Shiratori began laughing. His pointed tail was swiping through the air and his sharp teeth were on full view. Horns curled out rom his scalp, tipped crimson like his eyes.

But the demon paid no attention to Ryuuji's hissed words and pulled a knife from his jacket. "If you wanted to play, you should've just said so." He grinned sinisterly, his eyes wide with glee. "Wait there, Okumura-kun! I have to take care of your boyfriend!"

"Don't touch him!" Rin shouted, his voice cracking in panic.

But Shiratori was already grabbing Ryuuji's hair and driving his knee into his side. "There we go." He smiled as Ryuuji gasped for air. "Nice and easy. Ryuuji, was it? I'll have fun ripping out those piercings of yours. One. By. One."

Shiratori brought the knife up, passing it under Ryuuji's jaw.

 **"GET AWAY FROM HIM!"**  Rin screamed and, with just as much desperation as there was in his voice, a bright blue light burst forth, bathing the area immediately. The three boys who were on top of Rin were blown away and they promptly ran without looking back.

Rin slowly pushed himself up to his knees, trembling. Every inch of him was covered in blue flames. It licked at his clothes and his skin but he felt no heat. "Wh…What…?" he whispered, staring at his hands, at the flames flickering from his fingertips.

A sharp, startled gasp escaped Ryuuji's lips.  _Blue flames…!_ He'd never seen them before in his life, but he'd heard the tales, he'd heard of the Blue Night and the deaths it wrought. His grandpa, Shima's eldest brother, Konekomaru's parents, and countless other members of the Myou Dha had perished because of these flames. And now… Rin was…

 _What's happening…?_  Ryuuji stared at his best friend wide-eyed. Rin looked equally as confused and lost as he was. Much to Ryuuji's relief, the shorter teen wasn't burning. It didn't look like he was in pain at all. Nevertheless, the flames were curled around him, enveloping every inch of his body as if they belonged there.

Ryuuji couldn't make any sense of it.

The hand in Ryuuji's hair opened and he was released as Shiratori made his way towards Rin. "I knew it." His tone had changed to a deeper, almost reverent tone. "I knew I wasn't mistaken."

Rin gasped and looked up as the demon knelt before him. "Those blue flames are the real thing, the mark of Satan's offspring. I am Astaroth." He held out a clawed hand. "Come, my young prince. I will take you home to Gehenna."

 _"What…?!"_ Ryuuji croaked.

"Evil dwells within this heart." A clear and steady voice cut into the tense atmosphere like a knife. "O Lord, let each be judged according to his deeds. Let sinful conduct beget retribution. Let each pay for that which he has taken. Bring down thy justice upon them."

Father Fujimoto walked into the alleyway, calm and collected. He passed Ryuuji without giving him a glance, his eyes locked onto Astaroth. "Smite them that they never shall rise again."

Astaroth stood and roared. "You damn exorcist!" he screeched, his tail slashing the air in anger. "I'll rip off your tongue so you can't spout your filthy curses!"

"Blessed be the Lord," Shiro continued, smiling as challenge shone in his eyes.

The demon snarled indignantly and rushed forward.

"My prayer has been answered." Shiro didn't stutter.

"The Lord is my helper," Astaroth shot his hand forward and Shiro dodged it deftly, grabbing the passing wrist, "and He is my shield!" He twisted the arm and the demon cried out as a sickening pop was heard from a dislocated shoulder.

"Demon... Perish where you stand!" Shiro shouted, bringing down his hand as if to smite the demon through the gesture alone. With a loud, unearthly shriek, a black mist exploded from Astaroth's mouth. The demonic features faded and Shiratori fell limp in the priest's hold.

The clearing fell into utter silence.

Ryuuji slowly got up to his knees. He pressed a hand to his aching side, but the motion didn't register through his head. He looked at up at Shiro, speechless, and then glanced down at the unconscious guy who had been possessed just a few seconds ago.

_Rin…!_

Ryuuji quickly turned to look at his best friend and he was surprised to see that the blue flames that had surrounded Rin were gone. The smaller teen seemed to just be sitting there in a daze. For a moment, it felt like the entire thing had all just been an illusion.

The deep recesses of his heart clenched at the wistful delusion.

Ryuuji's hands shook as he tried to take in the fact that… that Rin was…

_Satan's son…?_

Was that even possible? How had that happened? How had anyone been able to keep it a secret for so long?

_"I fear you'll come to understand that sooner than you might think."_

"…!" A quiet, shaky breath escaped Ryuuji's lips.

_Oh… This is what he meant…?_

It all began to fall into place.

With a jerk, Shiro shoved the Shiratori's shoulder back into place before slowly releasing his arm. "Are you two okay?" He glanced at Ryuuji before his gaze rested on Rin.

Rin nodded dumbly, still somewhat dazed, before he gasped and looked at his friend. "Ryuuji…?" Fear swam in his eyes, momentarily battling his confusion.

Ryuuji involuntarily tensed up. "I-I…" he stuttered. It was hard to meet Rin's gaze at the moment. "'M fine," he muttered to the ground.

Shiro frowned at the taller teen before letting out a soft exhale. "It seems your power can no longer be suppressed entirely by the Kurikara." It was a soft tone, as if he was talking to himself. He stepped forward toward his son, who'd barely heard him.

"What… What happened?" Rin looked at Shiro. "What happened to him?!" He pointed at Shiratori who was lying still on the ground. "Is he… Did you…?"

"He's fine," Shiro said, glancing back. "I have exorcised the demon from him. But if he doesn't change his ways, he's bound to get possessed again."

"Demons…?" Rin repeated the word with a tremor in his voice.

"Yes. You can see them now, can't you?" Shiro turned his head and blew away one of the small black bugs that was floating in the air. "These are Coal Tar, demons that cling to dust and soot."

Rin turned his head to quickly wave one away. "These are… Demons?!"

Shiro nodded and turned to Ryuuji. "You know this, don't you?" He looked back towards Rin. "This world consists of two dimensions, separated and facing each other like a mirror. There is our world, the material world. Assiah. And then there is the world of nothingness and demons which is Gehenna. These two worlds are never supposed to meet and travel between them is apparently impossible. But demons possess material things and are able to reside in Assiah."

Shiro reached down and grabbed Rin's arm. "But we don't have time to discuss it here. This incident has revealed to them the truth. There will be those coming to hunt you down. Get up. Both of you." He stared at Ryuuji as he spoke his last statement.

"Wait! What truth?! What's going on?!" Rin staggered to his feet, panic still lacing his tone. "What am I?!"

"You are not human."

Rin's entire body tensed and he felt his breath catch. He didn't want to hear anymore but his father continued on.

"You are the son of a demon." Shiro was already towing Rin towards the exit. "The result of a human impregnated by a demon. But not just any old demon. You are the son of Satan himself."

"That's enough!"

It was Ryuuji who spoke up. The tall teen was still looking at the ground, his shoulders shaking.

"What… the hell have ya been spoutin' since you've gotten here…?" he muttered, clenching his eyes shut as he forced himself to push away his doubts, his fears; as he listened to his heart and the rage burning deep in there, flaring up fiercely as he took in the situation with a clearer mind than one he'd had in days.

"What kinda shitty explanation is that…?!" he demanded, getting up to his feet now, ignoring the ache in his body. His eyes honed in on Rin who looked panicked, afraid, but most of all pained by his father's words.  _His father._

Words written in a childish scrawl rose in his mind like an echo.

_"…everyone else thinks I'm a demon…"_

Ryuuji growled. "Rin… Those flames… Even if what yer sayin' is true, how can ya tell him that? How can ya be so cold?  _He's **your** son, ain't he?_ " he snarled. "Did all these years mean _nothin'_ to ya _?!_ "

Shiro stared straight at Ryuuji, his voice almost toneless. "Was it not you who told me to tell him the truth?"

Rin's eyes widened further, looking between his father and his friend.

"I-I didn't…!" Ryuuji was taken aback by the accusation. His tongue tied up with protests, with denial. The way Rin was looking at him made him want to throw up.

"That… That ain't what I meant! I just…!"

"Tell him the truth, don't tell him the truth. You won't help Rin this way." Shiro released his son's arm and stalked towards Ryuuji with terrifying purpose. "If you want to help Rin," he grabbed Ryuuji's shoulder and drove him forward, "you'll follow orders. You'll listen exactly to what I say. You'll do exactly as I tell you. Understood?" The priest glanced around. The alley was already being covered by rapidly growing mushrooms and more and more Coal Tar were swarming the area. He looked straight into Ryuuji's eyes. "Understood?" he repeated, his tone firm and commanding.

"Dad…" Rin breathed, rooted to the spot.

Ryuuji took in a startled, hiccuping breath. The tight grip on his shoulder hurt, but it was that hard glare that left him petrified. "…Got it," he whispered tightly, somehow managing to nod.

Shiro nodded. "Good. Now move." He released Ryuuji's shoulder and grabbed Rin's hand, pulling him forward.

"Ryuuji…!" Rin gasped, looking back at him as he stumbled after his father. His free hand stretched out towards his best friend, the prayer beads peeking out from underneath the sleeve of his hoodie.

Ryuuji didn't hesitate to reach out this time. When his hand closed around Rin, something seemed to settle in his gut, and he held on tightly. The thought of letting go of Rin made Ryuuji feel more afraid than anything else that had happened until now.

The three of them ran. Heavy swarms of Coal Tars chased after them. Long, dark shadows rose from the ground and tried to obstruct their path. They did the best to avoid them, following Shiro's lead. The older man was muttering under his breath, dispersing the demons with unfaltering concentration.

Ryuuji began to do the same. Without missing a step, he began to murmur every verse he could remember from what he'd been studying lately.

Shiro looked back, his eyes locking onto the muttering teen. He stopped and grabbed Ryuuji's shoulder. "Listen carefully," he said sternly. "The path of the righteous shall not be revealed to the unfaithful. I lower the Ladder of Jacob with the aid of the Lord's hand." The moment he spoke the last word, a nearby swarm of Coal Tar disintegrated. Shiro kept his gaze firmly locked onto Ryuuji. "Do you remember it? Repeat it." His tone was clipped short and urgent.

Rin gripped Ryuuji's hand tightly.

Ryuuji didn't hesitate and repeated the verse back word for word. It was mercifully short, but he was still thankful for his good memory. Seeing the demons around them dissolve renewed his strength and he didn't even flinch at the tight pressure on his hand; instead, he gripped back just as firmly.

Shiro smiled and patted Ryuuji's shoulder. "Good. Don't stutter." He turned and continued leading them through alleys. They kept out of crowded areas and Shiro left the chanting to Ryuuji.

Rin continued to hold tightly onto the taller teen's hand, finding a strange comfort in his friend's chanting. He stared forward at his father's back, a multitude of thoughts running through his mind. Everything was strangely muted except for Ryuuji's voice. His body felt cold except for his two hands, one gripping his friend's and one gripped by his father.

His father... He was acting so different...

They turned the corner and Rin crashed into Shiro's back as the reverend halted without warning. The alley was crowded with dogs, growling with hackles raised. But flesh was plopping off them in decaying chunks and a putrid scent hung in the air.

"What the hell...?!" Rin covered his nose with his sleeve as Shiro released his hand.

"These are ghouls…" Shiro explained as he reached into his coat. "Demons who possess corpses. We're lucky we're in Japan. Otherwise human-type ghouls would show up."

"This is lucky?!" Rin shot back but his eyes widened as Shiro pulled out a grenade. "A bomb?!"

"Don't worry." Shiro flicked off the cap and tossed it in the middle of the group. "It's holy water."

The grenade exploded in a thin white mist, blasting the dogs to either side as their flesh hissed and burned. Shiro reached back and grabbed Rin's hand again, continuing to run. "I'm getting too old to protect kids like you!" he complained, a flash of his normal self showing through the cold façade.

It was a small comfort.

"Stop calling me a kid!" Rin shouted back at him instinctively. 

The sun was high in the sky by the time they reached the monastery. Ryuuji kept chanting the entire way there without faltering, allowing Shiro focus on taking them down the shortest route there without a problem. When they arrived, Nagatomo and Kyodo were waiting for them by the gate, and they all quickly rushed inside. Ryuuji allowed himself to finally breathe.

However, Shiro didn't stop. He was shouting out instructions and the priests were fulfilling them quickly and promptly. "Come on. We can hold them off here but you two need to go." Shiro took the two boys up the stairs towards Rin's room.

"Go?!" Rin's eyes widened. "What are you talking about?!"

"You can't stay here." Shiro frowned. "You two can sneak out the back and we'll make them think you're still here." He pushed open Rin's door and grabbed a bag from the top of the closet. "Pack," he ordered, tossing it at him. Rin, however, stood there, numb and unmoving, holding the bag against his chest with one arm. Shiro took no notice as he seemed focused on Rin's dresser.

"Rin." Ryuuji's heart was still pounding. He squeezed his best friend's hand, understanding the urgency of the situation. "C'mon, he's right. We gotta get out of here. It ain't safe."

Rin looked at Ryuuji when he spoke and nodded silently. "Sorry…" he whispered and looked towards his closet. With much hesitation, he slipped his hand from his friend's grip and began to pull down clothes from their hangers, stuffing shirts and pants unceremoniously into the bag. But he froze, halfway through pushing a pair of jeans into place and he turned back towards his desk. There, sitting on the surface, was the wooden box full of the letters. He glanced towards his father and quickly moved across the room to grab it, stuffing it in his bag along with his clothes.

Shiro saw the action but said nothing and instead pulled a key attached to a chain from his coat. "Rin, come here," he said, pushing the key into a lock on Rin's dresser. Rin frowned and stepped over, staring at the action in confusion. His father had always told him that the lock on the old dresser didn't work. All that was in there were clothes. But when Shiro turned the key and pulled the drawer open, not a single sock was seen. Instead, a blue katana sat in an empty drawer atop a red sleeve. Shiro pulled it out.

"This is a demon-slaying sword known as the Kurikara." Shiro looked at Rin and held it out to him. "Your powers reside inside this sword. You must keep it safe and keep it with you at all times. Sleep with it as well." His brow furrowed. "But never draw it."

Rin looked at his father, startled by the order.

"If you do, you'll return to your demon form and most likely never be able to live a human life again." Shiro spoke with a somber and serious expression. He pushed the sword into Rin's hand along with the sleeve. "When you can't carry it with you, use this." Shiro held out the key, dangling from the chain in his fingers. "It is the Key of Vanishment. It can be used to hide anything anywhere and can't be retrieved unless they have this key."

Rin looked dumbfounded. "W-Wha…?"

An equally shocked voice cut in, speaking over Rin's faint protest.

"…W-Why…? Why do ya have that? That's…" Ryuuji gaped at the sword. His composure faltered upon spotting his temple's heirloom. He looked from the sword back up to the man who'd retrieved it.

"How'd ya get that sword?!" he demanded, staring at the man with a bewildered expression.

"That's a long story. Too long for today," Shiro said as he pushed the drawer closed.

Rin looked at Ryuuji, his eyebrows furrowing. What was going on? It seemed he was the last person in the know as even Ryuuji knew more than he did. "Wait a second…!" His voice was a bit stronger but his father was pushing something else in his hand.

"Take this phone." Shiro closed Rin's fingers around a simple and cheap-looking cell phone. "There's one number in it and it belongs to my best friend. He'll protect you. Call him once you're out of the monastery."

"Hold on!" Rin protested. The stress of the situation was getting to him. "Why're you pushing me outta here like this for?!"

"Rin." Shiro frowned but Rin continued, speaking over him.

"This is… This is crazy! I don't know what's going on but I know I've always been a burden to you!" It all began to click and Rin felt anger rising up in his chest. "That's it, isn't it?! You just don't-!"

"Rin!" Shiro moved forward and placed his hands firmly on either side of Rin's head, his palms encompassing the teen's cheeks. He fell silent and there was a flicker of movement behind the spectacles as Shiro gave a momentary glance towards Ryuuji. "You can't stay here. But I'll meet up with you as soon as I can." His voice was soft and stern as he looked straight into Rin's eyes. "If you stay here, they'll find you. This is where they're coming to look, don't you understand?"

Shiro's mouth thinned and he pulled Rin into a tight embrace. "You are  _my_  boy. And I won't let them take you," he whispered fervently into his ear.

A soft tremor rattled up Rin's spine. "Your…?"

Shiro looked up and straight at Ryuuji. "You stay with him." His voice was low and commanding. "You get him out of here and you don't leave his side."

Ryuuji's mouth snapped shut. He nodded. "I won't leave him," he promised. "I won't let 'em take him."

It was easy to keep his emotions at bay with a purpose in mind. Ryuuji snatched his bag off the floor and hurried over to zip up Rin's bag before taking that too.

"Rin. C'mon. We're leaving."

Rin stepped back and Shiro helped him slip the Kurikara into the red sleeve. He pushed the phone in his pocket and glared up at his father with tears in his eyes.

"Don't you dare die, old man." He pointed at him threateningly. "I'm not done with you."

Shiro chuckled and gave him a smirk. "I'll be looking forward to it." He put the key around Rin's neck and tucked into his hoodie. "Now go. Get out of here. You know where the back door is. I have to go check on the others." The three of them walked out of the room and down the stairs. Shiro watched the two of them as Rin pulled the strap of his sword over his shoulder and grabbed his bag from Ryuuji.

"Ryuuji-kun." The priest pulled out a grenade from his coat and handed it to Ryuuji. "It's my last holy water grenade. If you run into trouble, don't be afraid to use it." He pointed to the cap. "Flicking it off will activate the triggers for the explosives inside the casing and it'll explode like before with those ghouls. But if you need it for any other reason, you can twist the cap off and use it just like a regular bottle. Understand?"

"Yes, sir." Ryuuji carefully examined the grenade once before stuffing it into pocket. He glanced at Rin, clenched his jaw as he took in that shaken expression, before taking a resolute breath and steeling himself.

"C'mon," he said again, addressing the shorter teen. "Lead the way."

Rin watched his father move out to the chapel and he turned to his friend. His brow was furrowed and there was a deep fear in his chest, but somehow, he felt okay. He nodded and moved forward, leading Ryuuji towards the back door.


	28. March 31, 2009 (Afternoon)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to take a moment to thank you all for your lovely reviews! Thanks for your support~ Hope you enjoy this chapter~

The two teens exited through a well-hidden back door covered by overgrowth. It creaked from lack of attention but they were on the street in moments.

"How... How far should we get before we call?" Rin looked at Ryuuji, not daring to stop running. They had nowhere to go but away from the monastery and the phone was weighing heavily in his pocket.

Ryuuji answered brusquely as he kept a careful eye out on their surroundings. "Do it now. We've no idea where to go."

Thankfully, the demons weren't pursuing them anymore. It seemed like they had all been drawn to the monastery, just as Shiro had promised. That didn't mean the distraction would work for long.

 _Can't let 'em find us. Can't let 'em take Rin_ , Ryuuji thought with a restless bounce in his step as he went over the chant Shiro had taught him earlier in the back of his mind.

Rin nodded and pulled out the phone from his pocket. "C'mon." He grabbed Ryuuji's hand and pulled him into a narrow and dark alleyway as he unlocked the phone. He was panting lightly, opening the contacts and frowning.

The number had no name on it. Just a star. But it was the only number on the phone, as his father had promised. He clicked the enter button on the phone and pressed it to his ear, listening to the rings.

It wasn't long before the call connected.

 _"My, my, this is a surprise. To what do I owe the pleasure, Father Fujimoto?"_  a voice drawled in a thick, honeyed tone.

"Um…" Rin's eyebrows furrowed. This guy sounded… pretty strange. "This is Shiro's son. Okumura Rin … He said you could protect me." He glanced towards Ryuuji, but the taller teen was too on edge to notice.

There was a brief second of silence on the line, and then,  _"Okumura Rin, you say?"_  The voice sounded positively gleeful.  _"Oh dear, things must be rather grave if he had you call me."_  The statement was followed by a quiet snicker which soon turned into full out laughter.  _"W-Well, then, Okumura-kun,"_  the person said once they managed to get somewhat under control,  _"what seems to be the problem?"_

Rin pulled the phone away from his face, staring at it as the laughter erupted from the speakers. "Do you think this is a joke?!" Rin growled back into the phone, the anger in his voice causing Ryuuji to finally glance at him. "The old man said that I was being hunted an' that you were gonna help me! So are you gonna help me or not?!"

The demand didn't seem to ruffle the man on the line in the slightest.

_"Ah, I see. So you're being hunted already? Yes… We will have to do something about that. Can't have them snatch you off to Gehenna so soon."_

There was a considerate hum, and then the man was speaking again.  _"Tell me, did your father give you any sort of key?"_  he asked.

Rin's frown settled slightly as the man on the line seemed to turn serious. "Just this key of vanishing thing. He told me to use it with the sword he gave me to hide it."

 _"…Is that so?"_  The man seemed annoyed to hear this.  _"In that case, your best bet is to head on to Southern Cross Mall. Quickly now. And call me again once you've arrived there,"_  he said.

Rin grimaced and held Ryuuji's hand tighter. Southern Cross Mall was the other way. They'd have to take a longer way around in order to avoid the monastery. "Fine. I'll do that." His voice was tense. "You're gonna meet me there?"

_"Yes, so don't dawdle now, and certainly don't stop anywhere else. We wouldn't want anything to happen to you, would we?"_

And it was with those ominous parting words that the call ended.

"What's the plan, then?" Ryuuji asked after Rin had shoved his phone back into his pocket.

"Southern Cross Mall." Rin looked at his friend and frowned. "It's… It's a bit away from here but that guy said he was gonna meet us there." He didn't trust the man. But right now, he was all they had. Running around aimlessly was sure to get him and Ryuuji into trouble.

Ryuuji frowned. "Was hopin' we wouldn't hafta run for long… Tch. Whatver. Let's get goin' then." Ryuuji began to pull Rin out of the alleyway, and after asking for directions, he continued to tug the other after him with a vise-like grip.

"Our best bet 's stickin' to the streets. Demons like dark places so time's in our favor for now," he said, gesturing towards the sun. "Jus' hope we don't run into anythin' nasty," he muttered under his breath.

Rin nodded, following Ryuuji and holding tightly onto his hand. As they ran down the street, he clenched his left hand around the strap currently on his shoulder, the one that held the red sleeve holding the sword his father gave him. He remembered how his friend had looked at it so familiarly and even though they were definitely in an urgent situation, Rin had too many questions.

"Ryuuji!" he called, picking up his pace a little to get closer as they ran, "Ya…You know this sword, right? Ya looked like you did."

Ryuuji spared Rin a glance before looking ahead again, frowning. "…That's an heirloom of my temple," he explained curtly. "It ain't something your old man could've acquired easily. Hell, it ain't something he should've been able to acquire at all."

"Your temple?" Rin repeated, slightly flabbergasted. "I ain't ever heard of my old man goin' to Kyoto." His brow furrowed. It seemed he was only left with more questions but at least this time he knew that he and Ryuuji were in the same boat. He squeezed his hand a bit tighter and continued forward.

They ran past the residential district. The crowds of people increased as they got into the commercial side of the town. Teenagers still enjoying the last days of their holidays loitered about and vendors called out bargains loudly to the housewives dominating the streets. Ryuuji and Rin were forced to slow down their pace to avoid bumping into people. Still, they trudged on ahead with urgency and only stopped still upon spotting the yellow caution tape blocking the road before them.

"Shit," Ryuuji muttered. "Now what?"

He wasn't familiar with the area, but Rin had said they'd reach the mall by following this road. His eyes darted around the place.

"This lead anywhere?" he asked, pointing agitatedly to the nearest detour he could find.

Rin was running through alternate routes in his head when he looked towards the alley that Ryuuji had pointed towards. "Yeah." He scratched his head. "Yeah, think so. Should bring us to South Avenue if we cut right through."

Resolved in his decision, he hurried into the alley, tugging Ryuuji forward. But they weren't in the alley for minutes before he felt a yawning dread expanding in his chest.  _Don't stop._  He felt his breath catch, almost hearing the tittering of Coal Tar as shadows shifted around them. Had they been found?

_Shit._

Ryuuji tightened his grip on Rin's hand and kept on running. His heart was thumping erratically against his chest but he focused on the exit before them single-mindedly.

_Jus' a lil bit more… C'mon…!_

A thick shadow sprung up before them. Ryuuji's breath stuttered and he jerked Rin back into him with a quick motion. The shorter teen gasped, crashing into his friend's chest and gripping tightly onto his shirt.

"The path of the righteous shall not be revealed to the unfaithful! I lower the Ladder of Jacob with the help of the Lord!" Ryuuji shouted.

The demon didn't disappear.

 ** _Why?!_** he thought wide-eyed as he froze in terror. His arm, wrapped around Rin's neck protectively, shook while his other hand fumbled for the bottle of holy water Rin's father had given him. But the demon, already rattled by the failed chanting, rushed forward, Ryuuji in its sights.

Rin was tossed aside and Ryuuji crashed heavily into the floor. The black mist with the consistency of sludge covered the teen's throat, mouth, and nose.

"RYUUJI!" Rin pushed himself off the wall and rushed at the demon, jumping at it to tackle it off. But he moved right through it as if it was nothing but a cloud. Rin fell harshly onto the concrete, winded at the unexpected blow.

Ryuuji couldn't breathe.

He choked on the vile, suffocating smoke that was forcing its way past his lips and down his throat. His hand scrambled to cover his mouth but the effort was futile.

 _Get...out...!_ Ryuuji thought desperately, switching tactics with shaking limbs as he reached for the bottle in his pocket once more. He felt his consciousness begin to fade, heard the demon whisper to his heart, its voice faint and familiar.

**_'You want to defeat Satan...? Hahahaha… Don't be ridiculous!'_ **

The bottle slipped past his fingers, tumbling to the floor.

Rin stared in horror as Ryuuji's body slowly went limp. The demon above him just... pushing.

No... What was he supposed to do?! Movement caught his eye and Rin locked on to the holy water grenade slowly rolling from his friend's hand. He lunged forward, trying to catch it but it continued down the slightly sloped floor, heading to a small basement window.  _Nonono_ _!_  Rin dove, but it was too late. The bottle dodged his fingers and fell into the dark basement.

What was he supposed to do now?!

_"This is a demon-slaying sword known as the Kurikara."_

Rin froze, the strap of the red sleeve suddenly digging into his shoulder.  _Never draw it,_ his father's voice was repeating in his head as he pulled it off.  _If you do, you'll return to your demon form and most likely never be able to live a human life again._

"That's fine..." Rin dropped the red sleeve to the floor. And gripped the handle of the sword. He made his decision immediately. Because living a human life without Ryuuji... was not a life he wanted to live.

When he pulled the sword from its scabbard, the alley was bathed in a bright blue light. Rin felt a flash of pain and a wave of heat but it soon gave in to a warm rush of relief and power. The flames were whispering tantalizingly in his pointed ears as the demons around them screeched in terror.

 _The holy flames!_  the demons around him cried. He could hear them clearly. Reverence mixed with fear. It drove him forward.

Rin opened his mouth and snarled, his pointed fangs bared, his crimson-tinged eyes locked onto the demon holding Ryuuji down. It was recoiling but it was too late. Rin gripped the Kurikara and swung, cleaving the demon in half with laughable ease. He watched it disintegrate into shrieks and mist and Rin felt a twisted glee flutter in his chest.

 _Ryuuji..._  Rin felt a moment of clarity and pushed the sword back into its scabbard. Immediately, he felt the flames snuff out, but he felt different. He couldn't really pinpoint why but he decided to figure it out later. "Ryuuji?! Are you alright?" He knelt beside the prone teen, worry encompassing his face.

Ryuuji groaned. Blurry eyes peered up as he felt Rin's hand on his chest.

"Wha…?" he croaked, finding it hard to talk. His vision focused and Rin's face swam into view.

The steel-blue eyes before him were filled with concern. Ryuuji attempted to shoot the other a strained smile, but it came out more as a grimace. "…'appened…?" he muttered as he forced himself to sit up.

His memory was a bit hazy. All he could remember was the sickening sensation of the demon sucking away his will as it fed onto every dark feeling and thought he'd ever had. Mocking laughter rang in his head until he had suffocated under the sound. He'd been drowning, sinking into the cold depths of his mind as his consciousness started to fade away…

And then warmth had seeped into his bones, purifying that dark, soul-sucking sensation in a flash, just like before.

_That was… too close…_

Ryuuji shivered and brought a hand up to his forehead, feeling it throb in pain. All too quickly, his memories returned, slamming into him like a train wreck. Adrenaline spiked up again as he recalled how quickly everything had happened. A troubled frown crossed his face as he looked up at Rin again—

And then his mouth dropped open.

Ryuuji's expression shook as his eyes darted around to take in Rin's face—the elongated pointed ears, the sharpened points of his teeth, the black tuff peeking out over his shoulder.

"Rin…" Ryuuji's breath hitched, stricken, "what'd ya do…?"

Rin resisted the urge to flinch back at Ryuuji's expression. There was just something about it that shook him to the core. But he saw something flutter into his vision and he looked down to see a slim black appendage curling around his middle. He grabbed it instinctively and immediately felt a rush of discomfort straighten his spine.

"Ah…" Rin released it and he looked behind him. It was coming from under his shirt…  _A tail._  That's right. Rin remembered the demon they'd ran into just that morning. He had a tail too. And horns. Rin smacked his hands over his head and was relieved to find that no such things were on his head. But as his fingers lowered, they ran along the pointed tips of his ears. Rin bit his lip and winced as the sharp canines dug into the tender flesh of his mouth.

"Sorry…" He covered his hand over his mouth. "Jus'… It was on ya and I didn't know what to do so…" Rin lifted the Kurikara a bit so Ryuuji could see the sword, unable to say the words himself.

Ryuuji could barely tear his eyes away from the other's face. His heart sank into his stomach as a crushing feeling of failure overwhelmed him. Rin had… Rin had used the sword… he'd broken whatever was holding back his demonic powers… to protect him.

"…Ya  _idiot_ …"

Ryuuji's shoulders trembled. An irrational spark of anger jolted through him.

"Dammit…!" Ryuuji cursed. "What were ya thinkin'?!" he shouted, lashing out to the other. His fist curled around Rin's shirt as he yanked him closer until their foreheads collided painfully.

"Moron…" he hissed, as he pounded his other fist on the other's chest, closing his eyes as he shook with frustration and self-loathing.

Rin winced and took the abuse readily. He reached out and grabbed Ryuuji's shirt in return, glaring at him. "Call me that if ya want but I wasn't just gonna leave you there!" He shook his head. "I'm not gonna leave you to get…" Rin went pale, remembering the whispers and urges that the demon was shoving down Ryuuji's throat. What would have happened to him if he hadn't drawn the sword? "'M just not!" he finished with a stern and angry tone.

"Tch!" Ryuuji wasn't listening. He glared back at Rin and tightened his fist around the other's shirt. "Didn't ya hear what yer dad told ya?! There's no goin'  _back_  from this!" he shouted, shaking him a little.

"I know!" Rin yelled back, a slight tremor in his voice as his new limb quivered around his legs. "I know, dammit, but I can't do this without you!"

The words shook Ryuuji to the core. He let out a quiet undecipherable noise and clenched his teeth.

"Dammit, Rin," he whispered, still feeling just as angry, just as desperately panicked as he was a moment ago. His hand trembled and he found himself unable to let go. They both did.

But they had to.

Their brief respite from the demons came to an end. The quiet, haunting tittering of the Coal Tars returned. Ryuuji's chest tightened with panic as he remembered the awful sensation of the demon trying to slide down his throat. He looked at Rin, mouth dry, heart pounding.

That same desperate urge to protect the other still resonated inside of him. It was the only thing that drove him to move. Ryuuji let go of the other's shirt and seized onto his wrist instead.

"C'mon, then," he snapped once they were on their feet again. "We ain't makin' this easy for 'em again.  _Run!_ "

And so they ran. Rin struggled to slip the Kurikara back into its sleeve while not slowing his pace, and soon, they made it out into the open again. Rin tugged the strap over his head and gripped it along with the strap of his bag. He stared forward at Ryuuji's back, guilt battling it out with the justification that what he'd done was the only option.

It was strange, having this new sensation. This new limb. He was agonizingly aware of it now as he ran. The tail was twitching and lifted to about his waistline. Rin found himself glancing back at it every once in a while but he did his best to focus on the task ahead. And he was glad they were running because people seemed to be more interested in two teens shoving past people than the fact that one of them had a tail.

They stuck to the streets from then on, staying in the light. Every alley mouth they passed, a flash of tittering could be heard and Rin knew they were being followed. He wondered how his old man was doing…

"There it is!" Rin pointed ahead, spotting the mall.

Ryuuji felt a surge of relief. "Great! Now what?!"

They skidded to a stop under the main entrance. The bustling crowds went on their way, unaware of the danger pursuing the two teenagers. A group of girls passed by giggling as they glanced over at them. Neon lights began to flash on across every corner now that the sun was beginning to go down.

Ryuuji glowered around them in suspicion, keeping an eye out for danger.

"He said to call him, hold on." Rin fished the phone out of his pocket, paying no attention to the giggling passersby's.

He selected the number again and pressed it to his ear as it rang, looking around and keeping close to Ryuuji.

The phone rang and rang but no one picked up. Rin growled in frustration upon hearing a cartoon-like jingle and a woman's voice telling him to leave a message. He glared down at the phone and was about to hit redial when something barreled into him, making him drop the phone.

"Hey!"

Ryuuji glanced over sharply and then did a double take.

"What the…?!"

A small white dog with a pink bow wrapped around its neck picked up the phone in its mouth and ran off, speeding off into the crowds.

"OI!" Rin snarled and tugged Ryuuji forward. "GET BACK HERE, YOU MUTT!" He ran after the dog as fast as he could, feeling his heart hammering with anger and panic. He had to get that phone back!

The dog easily maneuvered through the throng of people, but Ryuuji and Rin had a harder time doing the same. Still, they never lost sight of the dog despite having to slow a few times after bumping into people. Strangely enough, it almost seemed like the dog had glanced back at them during these times.

 _But that's ridiculous,_ Ryuuji thought to himself as they continued giving chase.

A few minutes later, he was reconsidering his opinion.

The dog had led them to a less crowded area. There were still people around, but the dog had very conveniently run into the back alley of one of the shops. It stopped right behind the line where the shadows began and it was now sitting there, facing them, with the phone in his mouth and his tail wagging.

Rin stumbled to a stop, staring at the dog sitting there so fucking innocently. He growled. That damn dog, who did he think he was, looking so cocky like that?!

He took a deep breath and puffed out his chest. He had to be smart about this. "I got this, Ryuuji." Rin released his friend's hand and nodded confidently. "Yukio 'n me used to play with this dog that came 'round the monastery sometimes. So I got a good handle on how dogs think," he said reassuringly.

Rin crouched down and moved closer, little by little. "Hey, dog…" he spoke in a quiet voice. "Do ya mind droppin' that?" The shorter teen continued to waddle closer, his tail twitching behind him.

Ryuuji watched Rin approach the dog with an incredulous expression.

"You wait right here!" He snatched his friend by the back of his hoodie and yanked him back, away from the alley. Rin landed on is butt right by his feet and the shorter teen looked up at him. Ryuuji ignored him. His attention was focused on the alley in front of them. Though the noisy ambiance of the mall made it hard to hear them, Ryuuji could clearly make out the dark shadows staring at them keenly.

His eyes narrowed. "This ain't no regular dog," he growled. "It's either gotta be possessed or…" Ryuuji trailed off as he finally caught sight of the familiar pendant attached to the dog's ribbon.

"An exorcist?" he blurted out.  _Someone's familiar?_

The words caused an unexpected reaction.

The dog blinked at them slowly though his tail began to wag even more excitedly. Then, in the span of a second, there was a loud burst of pink smoke which dispersed to reveal… a clown?

The man before them looked as eccentric as one could get. His purple hair and goatee were striking, but his matching flashy outfit was even more so. The man chuckled, and with his top hat in hand, he bowed theatrically at them for a moment before straightening up.

"My, my, I'm impressed. I have to admit I wasn't expecting him to send you with someone, but this does keep the game interesting."

It was the same voice that had been on the phone.

Not that Ryuuji knew this. The tall teen glowered at the man before them suspiciously, his tension rising as he spotted Rin's phone in one of the man's gloved hand.

"What're ya babblin' about? Who're ya?" he growled.

"Tsk. It's rude to ask for one's name before introducing yourself, is it not? But I suppose I'll let you off scot free just this once." The taller man smirked down at them and took a step forward into the light as he threw Rin his phone back.

"I represent the Japanese branch of the True Cross Knight Order. My name is Mephisto Pheles and I am Father Fujimoto's friend. Nice to meet you ."

Rin was speechless, fumbling with the phone and struggling not to drop it. But well, he'd just seen a dog transform into a man and that was just something he wasn't expecting. This day was getting weirder and weirder by the second. He held the phone to his chest in both hands and stood up quickly.

"What was with that whole thing, makin' us run all over the mall chasin' you!" Rin stuffed the phone back into his pocket almost protectively. His tail was twitching behind him, showing his irritation. "You said you were gonna meet us, not send us running!"

"Pardon me, but a prestigious man such as myself can't be seen walking around in public so freely," Mephisto explained with a small shrug. "I had to lead you away from the crowds to reveal myself."

"You're... the Principal?!" The fact that such an important man had come to see them made Ryuuji speechless. Just who was Rin's dad...?

Mephisto raised a curious eyebrow at the words. "Indeed I am," he confirmed with a small nod. "Now… who are you?" The older man leaned in close to examine Ryuuji, tilting his chin up with a gloved finger.

Rin scowled, stepping between them. He fearlessly batted Mephisto's hand from Ryuuji's chin. "He's my friend and he's comin' with me. Now are we gonna get goin' or what?" he demanded with a glare.

Mephisto's mouth stretched into a wide grin. The brim of his hat cast a shadow over his luminous green eyes.

"Patience, Okumura-kun. All in good time." He leaned back, and in his full height he towered over both boys. He met Ryuuji's eyes expectantly.

Ryuuji found the gaze intimidating but had a hard time looking away. There was something about this man that made him made a cold shiver run up his spine. Still, he gathered up his will and put a hand on Rin's shoulder. "The name's... Suguro Ryuuji," he said as he stepped into view.

"Ah…!" Mephisto's eyes widened slightly as recognition filtered through. "Yes, I do recall now… One of our most promising students of this year, aren't you?" The older man began combing through his beard, smirking as he stared at the teen's bleached hair. "You've certainly changed since you submitted your application though."

Ryuuji's face colored slightly.

"I-It ain't against school regulations," he muttered roughly before tilting his chin up challengingly.

Mephisto chuckled. "Indeed it is not. And who am I to judge another for their chosen appearance? I say, one should embrace one's youth and their culture, unrestrained by society's frivolous standards of normality!" he declared, his voice gaining volume as he gesticulated passionately.

His gaze soon turned to stare back at Rin though. The smirk on his face hid a thousand meanings.

"But of course, there are always special cases to consider..." the man continued in an ambiguous tone without taking his eyes off of Rin. The shorter teen felt a quaking shudder run up his spine.

Ryuuji tightened his grip on his friend's shoulder, his instincts screaming in warning. But the intent look in the man's eyes vanished as quickly as it had come. A benevolent smile crossed Mephisto's face within seconds as he reached into his pocket and took out a golden key.

"Well, then, shall we get going?"

Rin stared at the key with a frown. "What's that?" It didn't look like a car key or any sort of thing. It looked like an overly embellished and old-fashioned key. Rin couldn't think about what it could be used for in a place such as this.

" _This_  is a very special key that will lead you away from this place," Mephisto explained as he stepped back into the alley. "This way~ " he said, beckoning them closer towards the old metal door at the back of the building.

With a dubious frown, Ryuuji watched the man insert the key into the lock.

"Hmm?" Mephisto glanced over at the still teenagers before humming in understanding. "Oh, don't mind them. They're only watching."

Green eyes darted back to stare at the shadows, which shuddered under his gaze before vanishing.

_…the hell?_

"Creepy…" Ryuuji muttered before glancing at Rin in a questioning manner.

But compared to Ryuuji's frown, Rin's eyes were almost shining. The way the shadows shrunk away reminded him of something from one of his manga and he had to struggle to keep his composure.

"Let's... Go." Rin straightened and did his best to control his awe.

Smiling at these words, Mephisto finally unlocked the metal door and let it fall open.

The room in front of them wasn't the back of any old store at a mall.

No… It was an office. It was furnished with European-style furniture, antique paintings and vases that seemed like they would be better kept in a museum. A large wooden desk was positioned right in front of panorama window. A window from which, beyond it, the impossible sight of True Cross Town could be seen.

Ryuuji's mouth fell open in astonishment. "How…?"


	29. March 31, 2009 (Evening)

"Whoa!" Rin couldn't contain his amazement this time as he stepped through the door. "This is totally fancy!" His new tail was wagging behind him and bumping into Ryuuji's thigh. But then logic caught up and he blinked, looking back at the tall wooden door that was certainly larger and very different from the smaller metal one they'd walked through. "Wait…" He furrowed his eyebrows and turned his head to look at the view out of the window.

"Is your office underneath the mall?!"

Mephisto chuckled at the question.

"It's not," he said. "At the moment, we are miles away from Southern True Cross. A special ability of mine involves the creation of magical keys. This key in particular leads directly to my office. Insert it into any lock, and voila~"

Mephisto spread out an arm to gesture around the room.

Rin stared at the key, bewildered . "So you made a portal or something with a key?" The light bulb clicked on and he remembered the chain around his own neck. "Oh, is that like the key of vanishing or whatever my old man gave me?" He pointed to his chest where the key resided underneath his hoodie. "Didja give that to him?"

Mephisto's eyes gleamed as he inclined his head. "That's correct. That's one of the many keys your father has in his possession." He slipped his own key back into his pocket before urging the two teenagers forward towards the small seating area that lay before his desk.

"But enough about him. We have more pressing matters to discuss, and I am sure you are famished as well. Eins, zwei, drei!"

With a snap of his fingers, the large flower vase in the middle of the circular table disappeared and two steaming cups of pork ramen appeared in its place.

"Sit. Eat."

The deceptively light voice made Ryuuji shiver. He didn't trust this man, not one bit. He was reluctant to step forward, but the smell of food immediately made his stomach growl, reminding him that he hadn't eaten all day.

Rin seemed to have come upon this same realization for the shock at the materialized food had quickly been overcome by his hunger for it. His stomach gave a hearty growl and he was about to step forward, but the tense hand that still rested on his shoulder made him pause.

He looked at Ryuuji and placed his hand on his friend's, squeezing it reassuringly. "He's my dad's friend." Rin glanced towards Mephisto before resting his gaze on Ryuuji. "Come on. Let's eat." He grinned brightly. "Smells good."

Somewhat appeased by Rin's words, Ryuuji sat down and picked up the ramen cup. With a wary glance, he began to eat it and soon found himself thankful for the food, savoring each bite that appeased his gnawing hunger. Rin was quick to join him.

Seemingly in no hurry, Mephisto bypassed his desk and casually joined them in the small sitting area, plopping down on one of the chairs, legs crossed. Just then, a tea set floated over and delivered a hot cup of tea to the principal of the Academy, who proceeded to sip it in silence as he waited for the two teenagers to finish eating.

Uncomfortable by the stare the older man was giving them, Ryuuji paused halfway through his meal and after clearing his throat awkwardly, he asked, "…What happens now?"

Mephisto took another calm sip of his tea before putting the cup down on the saucer he was holding. He smiled kindly at them.

"Now, the two of you should enjoy your last meal to its fullest extent. While I am a firm believer that death should be faced quickly, your father and I  _are_  close friends, so I can't very well dispose of you with empty stomachs, can I? It would be awful of me."

Rin choked. He put down his food, almost spilling it, and slammed his fist against his chest a couple times to regain his breath.

"What're you talkin' about!?" Rin stood up in a rage, clenching his fists. "I thought you were gonna protect us!"

Mephisto shrugged lightly, undaunted by the outburst. "And I had every intention to. Unfortunately, it seems like you went ahead and broke the last seal that held back your powers." The man looked at Rin with a knowing gaze. "You can no longer pose a normal human, and the son of Satan can't simply be seen wandering around Assiah. You must be killed before you present a threat to humanity."

Rin blanched. He his nails dug into his palms as he felt his chest tighten. "I didn't have a choice!" he objected, "and I'm not gonna hurt anyone as long as I keep the sword closed, right?!"  _Wrong, wrong, wrong._  The traitorous voice in the back of his mind reminded him of all of those he hurt even before he'd known of his heritage.

"I'm afraid the situation is not as simple as that. As an honorary knight of the Order, I have certain responsibilities I cannot ignore. I can't be seen mixing up private and public affairs, you know," Mephisto explained, smiling. "I will have to apologize to your father, but one kid out of two isn't a bad outcome, wouldn't you agree?"

Ryuuji paled at the words.

"Rin," he hissed urgently, feeling his heart pound anxiously as the situation they were in hit him. They needed to get out of here—escape somehow. But as soon as the thought entered his head, Mephisto's eyes turned to look at him. The gaze froze him in his place, and the older man's smile widened just a tad before his eyes settled back on Rin.

"Well, then, if you've finished eating, I won't delay this any longer." With all the nonchalance in the world, Mephisto leaned forward to place his saucer down on the table. When he got up to his feet, it was with a predatory gait.

"You have two options remaining to you. Allow yourself to be killed, or kill me and flee with your friend. Now, which one would suit you best~?"

Rin's clenched fists shook. Gritted fangs were bared and his tail was up and alert. He glanced towards Ryuuji, and Rin couldn't help but to wonder if Mephisto would allow Ryuuji to live if he let himself be killed. But he couldn't be sure of that. He'd almost lost Ryuuji once and he'd been forced to rely on a power he was never supposed to touch because he'd been too weak to protect himself. Because he'd been forced to rely on his friend and his family to protect him.

He wasn't strong enough.

"Neither." Rin spoke with all the determination he could muster. "I want to be an exorcist!"

The declaration was met with silence. Ryuuji looked surprised. Mephisto looked amused.

"You? An exorcist?" The older man finally spoke, snorting in ridicule at the thought. "Silly boy, did Shiro teach you nothing about self-preservation? The last thing you want to do is join the very organization that wishes to kill you. Do you not understand the position you are in?"

Mephisto pressed his fingers to his temple and shook his head exasperatedly.

"You are no ordinary demon—you are the son of Satan himself, the most feared demon and the ruler of Gehenna! The stigma of your birth will follow you constantly. You will be sought out to be killed not just by the Vatican, but by everyone who knows your true nature! That is how much danger and fear your existence poses. And if they don't get their hands on you first, then one day, even Satan himself will eagerly seek you out. He will find no greater pleasure than to finally get his hands on his wayward son."

Rin scowled further, glaring up at Mephisto. But he didn't back down. There seemed to be only one option left. "That bastard isn't my dad! My only dad is Fujimoto Shiro! I'm going to become an exorcist and when I do, I'll kick Satan's ass!"

Deafening silence. If Rin's previous declaration had surprised everyone before, this one completely stunned them.

Ryuuji felt his heart pound.

_"I'll kick Satan's ass!"_

The words echoed inside him, reverberating so loudly it almost made him shudder. His breath caught because that— _that_ —had been the last thing he had ever expected Rin to say. The dream that had been so easily mocked by everyone around him—his father, his peers, even Shima—in one second, Rin had thoughtlessly declared it as his own. Rin, who hadn't known of demons until a few hours ago, Rin, whose entire life had been sheltered because he was  _Satan's own son_ —

Rin, his friend, his best friend, the one person Ryuuji had been too scared of to confide in all this time about this, the one person whose reaction he was afraid to hear the most—Rin, who had spoken in such a firm, fierce voice that made Ryuuji unable to doubt that determination, that made his chest clench and then ease in a way he didn't understand because…

Everything fell into place together.

He was star-truck, slack-jawed, his heart was palpitating so hard it was hard to think, and he barely even registered when Mephisto broke out into a peal of laughter.

"The son of Satan wants to become an exorcist?" The man laughed like a buffoon, clutching at his stomach as he giggled uncontrollably. "Hahaha! This is great! I haven't laughed like this in an age!"

Rin snarled. "Don't make fun of me! I'm serious!" He glanced at Ryuuji, fearing the same reaction from him, but he hadn't expected the taller teen's shocked expression. Did he think it was ridiculous too?

Mephisto continued giggling for a few more seconds, but when he finally stopped his eyes were gleaming with interest. Eagerness spread across his features as he leaned over, hand pressed against his chest, just below where the fabric of his cravat ended. He bowed slightly, as if thanking the other for providing such an entertaining show. When he leaned back, he was grinning broadly.

"I like it! Very well!"

He snapped his fingers, but no display of magic followed the movement. It was a mere gesture that spoke of finality.  _There's no turning back from this path_ , said Mephisto's hooded eyes.

The older man confirmed it with his own words the next moment.

"The path you've chosen is not a simple one, and one day you'll surely come to regret it, but I will support it! From this day forth, you, Okumura Rin, will be enrolled to this Academy to be trained as an exorcist!" he exclaimed loudly, his voice booming through the office.

"Mephisto!"

Rin turned at the familiar voice. Shiro stood there, staring at Mephisto, mildly shocked as he closed the door behind him. But his father's eyes had shifted from the principal to Rin and he paused mid-step. The shorter teen winced, his new tail tucking between his legs.

"…What happened?" Shiro's voice was low and carefully even, and when Rin didn't respond, he turned to look at Ryuuji.

Shiro's voice made Ryuuji snap out of the stupor he had fallen into. His eyes darted away from Rin and towards the gray-haired man, but he found that meeting Shiro's penetrating gaze was an impossible task. He quickly glanced away again. His earlier feelings of self-loathing and frustration rose up like bile all over again. He had promised to protect Rin, to watch out for him, to get him here safely, and instead… he had messed up. He had completely messed up. If it wasn't for him, Rin wouldn't be in this position. He wouldn't have drawn his sword. Wouldn't have awakened his powers. The guilt that had fallen on Ryuuji was heavy and it made his jaw clench. How could he face Rin's dad after all of this?

The room fell into an uncomfortable atmosphere. It was as if all the air had been sucked out of it. Ryuuji glared down at his knees and struggled to speak. It felt as if minutes had passed, but it had been merely a few seconds since Shiro had asked that damning question.

Ryuuji forced himself to swallow his feelings, forced himself to ignore the tightness in his chest, and the way he was clutching onto the fabric of his shorts. He had to face the consequences of his actions.

"I…" the teen began shakily.

"That's an awful face you're making there, Shiro."

It was Mephisto's voice that spoke over Ryuuji. The tall man looked entirely too pleased about the new presence in his office. "Glad you could finally make it though. We've much to discuss~!" he exclaimed with a broad grin, his voice cheery despite the thick tension in the room.

As he had been standing right in front of Rin, it only took him a step before he was able to reach for the teen. Mephisto placed a hand on the back of the half-demon's neck and urged him forward, resting it there as he looked at Shiro over his son's head. There was an undeniable smirk twitching at the corner of his lips as he continued speaking that same jovial tone.

"You came at the perfect time too. These kids have had quite a day. How about we send them off while you and I discuss things?"

Rin faced his father and was able to see the tense jaw and narrowed eyes half hidden behind his spectacles. "It wasn't Ryuuji's fau—" He began but Shiro visibly tensed.

"Rin." He spoke sternly, his eyes now locked onto Mephisto. "Go with Ryuuji-kun to his dorm. Spend the night there. I'll pick you up in the morning. I have to have a long talk with the Chairman about your future here."

The young half-demon's tail was wrapped tightly around his leg. He already knew he was in deep enough trouble and trying to stir up more was just stupid. At least he wasn't being separated from his friend. So it was with a bite of his lip that he stepped away from Mephisto to pick up his sword and his bag that sat against the couch.

"Ryuuji, c'mon," he urged the other, muttering quietly at his friend who was still boring holes into his knees.

Ryuuji's clenched fists tightened slightly at Rin's words, but he nodded and got up to his feet.

The tension was palpable as they slowly trekked out of the room. Ryuuji forced himself to keep his head up high, though he still couldn't bear to glance at Rin's dad as they headed for the door. Then, just as they passed the gray-haired man, Mephisto's voice broke through the silence again to address Rin.

"It goes without saying, but it is a secret that you are Satan's offspring. Best keep your tail hidden to avoid any awkward questions—but more importantly, please control yourself and keep those flames in check~"

Ryuuji winced at these words.

Rin's tail twitched and stiffened before he grabbed the appendage and stuffed it under his hoodie. Of course. He should have hidden it before… He didn't respond to Mephisto and just gripped the straps over his chest while his other hand tugged on Ryuuji's sleeve. Together, they walked out of the office.

It wasn't seconds after the door closed behind him that Rin heard the low rumble of his father's voice. He didn't want to stick around and listen.

 

* * *

  

They didn't know the layout to this place at all so Ryuuji ended up texting Renzou and Konekomaru for directions. He barely had the energy to wince at the worried messages from them that had piled up all day. He'd been keeping in contact with them ever since he arrived to Rin's place, but today had passed by so fast that he hadn't been able to check his phone since he had gotten back from his morning run.

"Bon…! And Rin-kun too?"

It was Konekomaru who first spoke up. The moment Ryuuji got to their common room, the smaller teen got up off the couch only to stop in shock as he got a good look at the two of them.

Ryuuji didn't meet either of his friend's eyes. "Sorry I didn't mention much before comin' here. 'S been a long day."

"We can tell. Sheesh, you guys look like hell." Renzou ran a hand through his hair and frowned at them. "How'd ya two even get here?"

Even though Rin was tired and rather scared, seeing Konekomaru and Renzou for the first time brought a smile to his face. He waved from Ryuuji's side as his tail twitched from inside his hoodie.

"We, um..." Rin looked at his friend, at slight loss for words, wondering what he wanted to tell them. "We got attacked... Well, I did, but Ryuuji came to my rescue." He looked guiltily at the taller teen's bruised and bleeding face before smiling a bit at the other two.

"Why did you come  _here_?" Konekomaru's face had grown pale. His wide eyes were fixed on the gashes on Ryuuji's cheek. "You should've headed straight for the infirmary!" he protested.

Ryuuji let out a small sigh of frustration. He wasn't in the mood to deal with his friend's overprotectiveness, no matter how justified it was. "It ain't a big deal. I can clean this up myself. An' we came here 'cause it's been a damn long day. Leave it that, will ya?" He scowled.

Renzou snorted at his response, looking at him with a dubious expression. "Dude, that's a hell of a shitty explanation. Do you have any idea what ya look like? Koneko-san's right. Your face's a  _wreck_ and—wait, what the hell's wrong with  _your_ face?" Shima blurted out as he looked at Rin.

Konekomaru's eyes darted away from Ryuuji's face and he let out a small gasp as he finally took in Rin's features.

"Your ears…"

Rin immediately clapped his hands over his ears, forgetting that his tail wasn't the only thing different about him. "U-Um…" He went pale, trying to frantically come up with an explanation.

Ryuuji caught Rin's panic out of the corner of his eyes and growled.

"…Tch! Didn't ya two hear what I was sayin'?" he snapped, moving forward to block Rin from his friends' view. The shorter teen gripped the back of his shirt, trying not to bite his lip. "We got attacked by a demon! It bit Rin, his dad took us here 'cause of it, an' now here we are. He's stuck lookin' like this and there ain't nothin' we can do 'bout it. That a problem?" Ryuuji's eyes narrowed.

"O-Of course not!" Konekomaru shook his head rapidly bringing his hands up in front of his chest in a pacifying gesture.

Renzou grimaced. "We were just surprised, Bon. Cool off a bit, won't ya?"

Ryuuji looked appropriately contrite. "Sorry," he muttered, backing off entirely. "Jus' been a long day," he repeated. He rubbed the back of his neck for a moment before glancing at the two again. He felt bad for making excuses but the Principal was right. They couldn't just tell them the truth about what was really going on. He understood that. Still, it left a bad taste in his mouth.

"Listen, Konekomaru… Could ya bunk up with Shima for the night? I wanna keep an eye on Rin. Make sure there ain't any side effects to this whole thing," he said.

"Is that… safe?" Konekomaru shot Rin an apologetic smile, but the creases in his brow showed that he was undoubtedly worried. "If it's that bad, he oughta stay at the infirmary, shouldn't he?"

Ryuuji bit his tongue in frustration and shook his head tiredly. "It's fine," he insisted. "So could ya…?"

"Well… alright…"

Ryuuji shot him a grateful smile. "Thanks."

Rin was still holding onto Ryuuji's sleeve as he smiled at the other two boys. "'S nice to finally meetcha. Bad that it's on such a bad day, though."

"Yeah, seriously. This is the last place I expected to see ya guys." There was something strained about Renzou's smile, but the pink-haired teenager looked off to the side before anyone could catch it. "So, ya two need a hand with those bags or somethin'…?"

"We got it."

It didn't take long for them to settle down. Konekomaru fished out a first aid kit as Ryuuji and Rin dropped their bags in Ryuuji's room. Renzou pointed Rin to the bathroom while Ryuuji endured Konekomaru's insistent manhandling. Finally, it was Ryuuji's turn to change. He ran into Rin just as he was leaving.

There was a strange expression on Rin's face that disquieted the taller teenager.

"You… holdin' up okay?" he asked, frowning.

It was a stupid question. Ryuuji watched Rin's face anxiously, already feeling reluctant to leave him alone.

Rin hadn't lingered in the bathroom mostly because of the large mirror that covered the wall above the sink. He'd kept his back to it. So when Ryuuji asked that question, Rin wasn't sure what face he'd been making in order to prompt it, but he smiled anyway. "Just… tired, I think…" And in reality he didn't know. But he still felt bad for lying to Ryuuji.

Ryuuji's frown deepened but he nodded after a moment before heading towards the bathroom.

Rin slipped into Ryuuji's room, closing the door behind him. He stood there alone. Knowing only the two of them would be there, he let his tail out come out from underneath his clothes as he turned towards the bed that was supposed to be his. That's when something glittered in the corner of his eye.

Another mirror. Rin stared at himself in the mirror hanging on the closet door. His tail was slightly curled as it hovered behind his legs. Rin couldn't help it as his eyes moved upwards and he turned his head slightly.

It was the first time he'd laid eyes on his ears. They were in no way as pointed as Mephisto's were but they were larger than what he'd originally thought. They were in no way the same as his ears from before.

Rin stepped closer to the mirror, now captivated by the twisted image he saw. With great hesitation, he slowly bared his teeth. They were pointed and sharp.

_Like an animal._

**_Like a monster._ **

Rin slowly opened his mouth and ran his thumb over the pointed tip of his sharpened canines and hissed as it split the skin. Blood welled up on his thumb dripping down to his palm. Rin trembled, looking back at the mirror as he touched his fangs again, a sick and morbid curiosity rushing through him. But by the time his thumb touched the tip again, the small scratch had begun to knit itself closed. Rin quickly sucked the blood off so he could watch the scratch fading into his skin.

**_Freak._ **

**_Demon._ **

Rin's tail wrapped tightly around his middle.

**_Monster._ **

**_Demon child._ **

"Rin?"

Ryuuji stepped back into the room and quietly closed the door behind him again. He was surprised to see Rin's tail out.

_Anyone coulda walked right in, sheesh._

They still could, so Ryuuji locked the door behind him before glancing back at Rin. The reprimand that had been building up died on his lips as he noticed how tense his friend looked.

Rin barely heard Ryuuji enter. He was back to staring at himself in the mirror. His arms curled around himself. "I…" he whispered, "I really am a demon child, after all…"

Ryuuji froze at the words.

 _Rin…_ He swallowed hard, stunned at the unexpected blow. He hadn't expected to be hit with this conversation so soon…

_Who am I kiddin'? 'Course he'd end up thinkin' 'bout this…_

Ryuuji's hands clenched slightly and his expression grew somber. He glared down at the floor helplessly and wondered what to say to the other. Could he deny it? All those years of him telling Rin to ignore the people who said those things… and in the end, they had been true. Rin was the child of a demon. The son of Satan. Looking at him now made that fact clear, he knew that. Even without having seen the tail, Shima and Konekomaru had been surprised. And who wouldn't? For those who had known Rin for this long, and especially for Rin himself, this change in appearance was something foreign, drastic even.

But…

"You're… still Rin, aren'tcha?"

That's what Ryuuji had realized back then, the moment Shiro started barraging them with the truth behind Rin's heritage. Ryuuji had been shocked at the words, at Rin's appearance, at the sight of those blue flames, but when he'd seen that expression, when he'd taken in Rin's wide eyes glossed over with pain and confusion, Ryuuji had arrived at the core truth beneath it all—no matter what other things Rin was, first and foremost, he was his friend, his best friend. That wasn't ever going to change.

With that in mind, Ryuuji approached the other, his heavy footsteps slowly making their way across the wooden floor. He put a hand on Rin's shoulder once he was near and pulled the other around, away from the mirror.

"Look at me," he told him, his voice soft but firm.

Rin stared at the mirror until Ryuuji pulled him far enough away that he couldn't turn to see it anymore. He looked up at his friend as he was told. His vision was blurring with tears and his body was still trembling if anything with more force than before.

"I'm…" Rin croaked, "Ryuuji, I…"

Ryuuji squeezed Rin's shoulder hard and ignored the ache the other's expression caused in his chest. " _Listen_ ," he said in a fierce, insistent tone. "It ain't 'bout what ya look like." He forced the other to hold his gaze and stared straight into those watery steel-blue eyes. "'S 'bout what ya do," he continued, "'s about what's in here." He rapped his knuckles against Rin's chest twice and then kept them there, pressed against the rhythmic beat that throbbed under his touch. "So forget about what everyone's said, or what you might hear in the future. I know who you're, Okumura Rin. Yer a dork with a good heart. Same heart I got. 'S all that matters."

Rin felt a tremor rush down his spine and his tail wrapped tighter around his middle. He let Ryuuji's words sink into him and he grabbed the hand at his chest, holding it carefully. Tears slipped past his eyes and down his cheeks. "You're gonna stay with me, right?" His voice shook as he kept his gaze. "No… No matter what I… who I hurt…?"

**_"Monster! Demon!"_ **

Rin gripped Ryuuji's hand.

Ryuuji squeezed Rin's shoulder tighter and seized his hand, clutching onto it between his fingers fiercely. The back of his hand was still pressed against Rin, so he could feel every tremulous heartbeat and the hitch in the other's breath that caused that unsteady rise at his chest.

"You ain't gonna hurt anyone." Ryuuji's jaw clenched in frustration as he stared at his friend's wet cheeks. It pained him to see Rin like this. He'd give anything to make that expression go away.

"Your lousy temper might get the better of ya sometimes, but ya ain't… ya ain't a fuckin' monster, Rin. Ya think a monster would worry 'bout hurtin' others?" Ryuuji shook his head slightly, the wrinkle in his brow deepening as he frowned. "Quit thinkin' so bad 'bout yerself, dammit," he whispered harshly. "Quit… thinkin' I'll leave ya. I won't. No matter what. I promised ya that, 'member?" He shook the other a little, as if trying to shake sense into him. His eyes never strayed away from Rin's own. "I ain't ever breaking that promise," he told him, firmly, truthfully, without a shred of hesitation.

Rin's lip trembled as he stared into Ryuuji's steady and sure eyes. He nodded quietly, tears still flowing. The half-demon gripped tightly to his friend's hand as his other roughly began to dry his face from the continuous stream of tears.

"I promise too," he spoke resolutely through his trembling voice. "I'm not ever gonna leave you either." Rin looked back up at his friend and smiled shakily through his tears. "I'm glad we're still friends, Ryuuji."

"Dork," Ryuuji muttered, swallowing hard at the sight of that tremulous smile. "'Course we are," he whispered in a gruff tone. When his grip on the other's shoulder loosened, he wasn't really thinking about it. He still wasn't when he pulled the Rin closer into an embrace, his arm resting on the back of Rin's bare neck. Their hands were still holding on to each other, pressing against their chests in the little space left between them.

This was nothing like their earlier embrace. There was no fear, no panic, no demon threatening to attack them. It was warm. It felt  _good._ After everything they'd gone through today, this closeness was something reassuring, relieving. They were  _alive._ They were safe.

They were together.

Rin took a deep breath, inhaling the clean scent of his friend. It was a strange feeling, holding onto someone's hand and having that person hold it back. But it was okay because it was Ryuuji. His childhood friend. His only friend. His  _best_  friend. He felt safe in this embrace and he didn't feel an inch of embarrassment as the tears started up again in full force. Because he knew he could cry here. He could be vulnerable in his friend's strong hold.

Ryuuji tightened his hold on the other as he heard him sniffle.

_Rin…_

He let the other boy cry into his chest, glad for the privacy they had, glad that they could speak like this with each other, frankly and without fear of anything.

He wished this moment wouldn't end. The uncertainty of what tomorrow might bring was daunting. He still didn't understand all the details behind what was going on—just who was Rin's father? Why did he know the Academy's Principal? How had they obtained the Kurikara? And just where did Rin fit into their schemes? It all felt like a huge conspiracy and Ryuuji didn't know where he fit into all of it. All he knew was that after everything they had both been through today, a pressing desire, as strong as any of his other goals, had risen inside of him.

_How do I keep ya safe?_


	30. April 1, 2009

Konekomaru woke up to the sound of snoring. Blurry eyes strained open and he groaned at the sight of the pink hair that he could just barely make out on the bed across.

He was sleeping in the same room as Renzou. He had almost forgotten.

After pushing back the heavy comforter he'd cuddled up under during the night, Konekomaru rubbed his eyes and reached for his glasses. The room was dark, but the faint outlines of the room were visible now. The short teen yawned quietly as he slowly made his way out of bed.

It was 7:20 AM. A quick glance at the alarm clock Renzou never used told him as much. He wasn't too surprised about the fact that he'd slept in. They'd been taking it easy this week since classes hadn't started yet. Konekomaru made his way out of the room, taking great care in not letting the daylight in as he went out. He headed straight for the dorm's bathroom, and after changing clothes and brushing his teeth, he went down to have breakfast.

_Wonder where Bon is…_

Konekomaru frowned slightly as he recalled the events of the previous evening. The worry he'd fallen asleep with last night resurfaced all over again. He still couldn't believe the older teen had been attacked. He was supposed to have a nice, safe time at Rin's place.

_We should've gone with him…_

Konekomaru's expression grew as troubled as his thoughts. He absentmindedly served himself breakfast from the cafeteria as he struggled with his rising guilt over the whole matter.

They were supposed to keep an eye on Bon. They were supposed to watch out for him and protect him. Letting him out of their sight had been a bad idea. He could've been hurt way worse than he had. The taller teen had gotten lucky to have come out so unscathed. If anything bad had happened to him… what would they have done? Konekomaru didn't think he'd be able to face Bon's family, much less his own, if that ever happened.

It was with those gnawing thoughts that Konekomaru quickly finished his breakfast and headed back to their common room. The place was still as empty and as silent as he had left it earlier. He frowned.

 _That's odd…_ he thought.

Bon was usually up by this time. The taller teen had a habit of getting up early even on days off. Was he still out running? Konekomaru disliked the uncertainty his train of thought caused him so he wasted no time in texting the other. Much to his surprise, he heard his friend's phone vibrate nearby.

"Bon? Rin-kun…?" he murmured as he knocked on the door to their room quietly, still unsure on whether or not Bon and Rin were awake or even in the dorm. When he received no response, he tried to open the door, only to find it locked. Even more surprised by this, Konekomaru knocked again, this time louder, his worry overcoming the reservation he'd felt before.

"You guys in there?"

It was Konekomaru's voice that woke up Ryuuji this time. The last remnants of his dream were chased away as the noise filtered in, and his brain quickly tried to jumpstart itself into work.

"'is it?" he called out, his voice coming out rough and croakier than he had expected. Ryuuji cleared his throat twice and shot the room's clock a short glance. He jolted as he noticed it was nearly eight in the morning.

 _Slept in again?_ Ryuuji scowled and tried to slip out of bed, but he encountered the same problem he had struggled with two and a half hours ago.

Rin.

The younger teen was curled up around him like a monkey. He was lying across of Ryuuji, drooling onto his shoulder, and though Rin was slimmer in size, his limp body was a heavy, immovable weight. It didn't help that their limbs were tangled up together, including his tail which was wrapped up completely around his leg.

Ryuuji let out a quiet huff of exasperation and turned back to stare up at his ceiling, frowning. Last night, the both of them had had a hard time falling asleep, so they had stayed up for a good part of it sitting next to each other on Konekomaru's bed. Much like when they had been at Rin's house, they sat next to each other with their backs pressed against the wall. Through the darkness of the room, they had remained there silently as they worried about the future, but eventually sleep had taken its hold on them and somehow they had ended up like this throughout the night. Ryuuji didn't regret it as he had found that the nearness of his best friend's presence put him at ease, as Rin always did, but he hadn't expected… this.

He resisted the urge to sigh again.

"I'm up, Neko. Be right out," he told the other, his voice even.

"Uh, okay?"

Ryuuji ignored the slight hint of embarrassment his friend's hesitant answer caused him. He tried to deal with his current problem instead. The moment he heard Konekomaru walk away, he began nudging Rin awake.

"Rin." He shifted under the other slightly, trying to see if he could manage to dislodge him. No such luck.

"Rin, c'mon." He tried his best not to raise his voice too loudly. Thankfully, his friend's ear was close enough for Ryuuji to lean over and hiss into it. "Wake up already!"

Rin's face screwed up as his sleep was slowly beginning to be interrupted. However, the teen was rather stubborn and had been sleeping less than normal with Ryuuji around. He turned his face into the broad shoulder and murmured sleepily. "Five more minutes, Yukio…"

Ryuuji scowled at this response. "More like five more seconds," he growled. "Up!" Ryuuji jostled his shoulder up, not really thinking about it, which was exactly why he was grunting in surprise when the back of Rin's head knocked against his chin hard.

Rin's head shot up in shock as his limbs clung tighter to the other teen. He blinked blearily, looking around before his sleepy gaze finally fell to Ryuuji. "Mornin'…" he murmured, his head lolling forward and his eyes slipping closed again.

_Are ya freakin' serious?_

Ryuuji stared at the other incredulously and tried to ignore the resounding ache on his chin.

"Dude. How fuckin' hard is it ta getcha up?"

It was his growing irritation that made him rather unrepentant about what he did next. Ryuuji took a slight breath and after accounting for the position of every part of his body, the taller teen tensed and with a driving force, he propelled his body to the side and forced them to roll over.

Which, of course, meant they fell on the floor with a loud thump.

That woke Rin up. He let out a shocked cry, his eyes widening as Ryuuji's heavy body fell on top of him and squished him into the floor. He gripped tighter to him on reflex before he started shoving him back. "What was that for?!" he complained, wide awake and rubbing his head where it had collided painfully on the floor.

" _That_ ," Ryuuji said with a narrowed glare as he leaned back on his knees, "was me tryin' ta getcha up. Which worked, thankfully. Ya sleep like the freakin' dead, ya know."

"Ah, Ryuuji, you're so mean!" Rin whined, untangling his limbs from his friend though his tail still stayed loosely wrapped around the taller teen's thigh.

"Quit whinin'," Ryuuji grumbled. "An' let go o' me already." He tapped a light, patient finger against the tail, as if to remind the other that it was there. Ryuuji himself was still having a hard time getting used to the fact that his friend had one.

"Oh." Rin seemed to just realize it was there as well and the tail swiftly unraveled itself. The young half-demon watched the tail settle on the floor beside him before he sighed a bit. "You coulda woken me up nicer." He pouted.

Ryuuji shot the other an exasperated glower. "I tried." He shook his head for a moment before getting up to his feet. "C'mon. 'S late." He offered Rin his hand. "We oughta get ready. Your dad might be droppin' by at any time."

Rin took his hand, frowning at the mention of his father coming by. He had no idea what was going to be happening today. His tail twitched behind him as he stood up with Ryuuji's help and he turned to look at the clock.

"It's not even eight!" he protested. "It's not late!"

Ryuuji snorted. "'Course you would say that." He shot the other a self-righteous smirk.

"I'm not just sayin' it!" Rin huffed as he grabbed his tail, stuffing it under his shirt. "It's true! Jeez, you wake up way too early!"

"Says the guy who sleeps in 'til way too late!" Ryuuji shook his head and headed for his duffle bag. He took out a change of clothes, brushing back his hair with his fingers. He was dying for a shower. He briefly regretted not taking one last night, but he hadn't wanted to leave Rin alone for long, and in the end, that had been for the best. The memory of Rin sniffling into his chest rose and slipped away like a bad dream; which is to say, it didn't. It was hard to let go of the vivid image. Everything that had happened yesterday had been burned into his mind.

With a quiet frown, Ryuuji did his best to focus on the present. Having Rin at his side, where he could keep an eye on him, was a momentary relief, but he hated the uncertainty he felt about their situation. He would've drawn comfort in the fact that his childhood friends were at his side as well if it weren't for the fact that they had to keep everything about Rin's heritage a secret.

"This sucks," Ryuuji muttered under his breath.

Rin sighed as he heaved his own bag onto the bed, sifting through it. "Yeah," he muttered. "Tell me about it." He could guess what Ryuuji was thinking of. He tried not to fall into the same thoughts he had last night as his tail struggled to find a comfortable position under his shirt. Eventually it wrapped around his chest and Rin found that spot to be alright.

"Ryuuji?" Rin frowned and looked up at his friend. "You don't think I made a bad decision, right? Wanting to become an exorcist, even if I'm…" He couldn't bear to finish the sentence. All he could remember was Mephisto's words and his father's face. It lingered in his mind louder than most of his thoughts.

Ryuuji finished changing shirts and glanced over his shoulder as Rin's voice faded off. The expression on his friend's face made his frown deepen.

"'Course not!" he protested immediately.

"If I'd been in yer position I'd have done the same. And about what ya said… 'bout defeatin' Satan…" After everything that had happened, it felt silly holding this one thing back. There were enough secrets piling up between them. Even if they had to keep things from other people, at least with each other they deserved to be sincere. "People might call ya crazy for it, but I'm with ya on that! We're defeatin' that bastard together," he said firmly.

Rin's eyes widened a bit but it wasn't long before a wide grin settled across his lips. The tail in his shirt was wiggling quite gleefully. "Yeah! Me an' you!" He sniggered. "I bet Satan's shakin' in his boots!"

"Heh. Damn well better be," Ryuuji said, agreeing with a fierce grin. Rin's enthusiasm was infectious. The irrational sense of unease in his chest dissipated in an instant.

The two of them finished getting dressed quietly. Ryuuji pushed his bangs out of the way with his hairclip and headed for the door.

"Let's see if we can pick up some breakfast before yer dad gets here," he suggested as he did. However, much to his surprise, when he pulled the door open, a body fell into the room with a loud thump.

"Shima!" Ryuuji stared at his friend in shock. The surprise quickly melted away into anger.

"The hell do ya think yer doin'?" he growled.

"Uh, heheh… Mornin', Bon!"

Renzou scrambled up to his feet. He gave the two of them a quick glance over before focusing back on Ryuuji's face.

"I was just checkin' up on ya guys! Heard ya woke up late today." Renzou shot Ryuuji an insinuating wink that only made the taller boy frown in confusion.

"You're the last person I want to hear that from…" Ryuuji muttered. He glanced out the door and spotted Konekomaru shooting them a sheepish smile.

Ryuuji bit the inside of his cheek and let the last of his panic fade away. That had been close… It was a good thing they hadn't mentioned anything suspicious…

 _What a pain…_ he thought, frowning as his stomach twisted with unease.

Rin peeked out from behind his bulky friend and grinned. "Mornin'!" His eyes were attracted to Renzou's hair in a matter of moments. Due to the events of yesterday, Rin hadn't gotten a chance to completely appreciate the color of the lanky teen's hair. "Ah, Ryuuji. You weren't kidding. He really can pull it off." He snickered. "I guess you're a pink kinda guy, huh, Shima?"

"Huh?" Renzou looked at Rin for a moment blankly before twisting his lips into a smirk. He ran a hand through his hair. "Damn right. Looks good, don't it?"

Ryuuji snorted. "Yeah, looks real good. Bet the chicks are dyin' to see your awful bed hair."

"That just means they're dyin' to get in bed with me. Who's complainin'?" Renzou grinned.

Rin raised an eyebrow. "Ryuuji, you weren't kiddin'," he muttered, glancing up at him.

"Wish I had been." Ryuuji shoot his pink-haired friend an unimpressed scowl.

Rin snorted despite himself before he looked back at Renzou and Konekomaru. "So, um…" He tilted his head. "Where's a good place to eat 'round here?"

The question made Konekomaru and Renzou exchange glances.

"Well, your best bet is the cafeteria…" Konekomaru supplied.

"The dorm's one anyway. The school's cafeteria is ridiculously expensive, man! It'll make ya wanna cry!"

Ryuuji and Rin's stomachs growled. It wasn't surprising considering how little they'd eaten yesterday.

"Anythin' sounds fine as long as it's close. 'M starvin'."

Rin nodded in enthusiastic agreement, his hand settling over his stomach. "I feel like I could eat a whole kitchen!" He looked back at Renzou and huffed. "So if you're gonna join us, you should probably get changed outta your PJs."

Renzou glanced down at himself as if he had forgotten about that fact.

"Hehe… Right…"

Ryuuji felt uneasy about leaving without contacting Rin's dad, but with his friends at his side and the knowledge that he left a note behind, he allowed himself to leave his worries behind for now. Since he wasn't in the same hurried and tired mindset he'd been in last night, Ryuuji took careful note of his surroundings this time as they headed down to the cafeteria. The school looked as nice as he had expected from what he'd heard about it from his family and the research he'd done previously.

The food could be better.

Having grown used to the elaborate meals Rin had prepared for him over the last few days, going back to cereals and fruit was somewhat of a disappointment even as hungry as he was.

Rin, on the other hand, was indiscriminately enjoying his breakfast. He was chatting happily about how nice the dorms and the campus looked, showing no sign of the tears he'd shed so readily the night before or the doubts he'd had just that morning.

But the cheery mood he was in quickly faded when he heard a familiar voice at his back.

"Good morning, Nii-san."

Rin choked on his cereal and slammed his fist into his chest a couple times. "Y-Y-Yukio!" He turned to face his brother, his hand shooting up to his ear and feigning fixing his hair in order to hide the pointed tips. "What a surprise, huh? I bet you didn't expect your older brother to be here!" He laughed.

"I did." Yukio smiled. "Father texted me and let me know. I'm glad we're going to the same school now, Nii-san!"

Rin smiled brightly despite himself. "Ah! Yukio!" He stood up and gestured to Ryuuji. "This is Ryuuji! You two haven't met yet. And!" He pointed to Renzou. "Look, it's Shima!"

"Yes. Ren-kun and I ran into each other the other day." Yukio's smile didn't change. Instead he looked at Ryuuji and bowed his head slightly. "Thank you for taking care of my brother. I know he's a pain but we really appreciate it."

"Yukio, you too!?" Rin cried out.

Ryuuji was surprised to see Rin's twin despite knowing the younger boy was attending the school. "Ah, it was nothing," he said in response. "It's nice to meetcha." Despite the polite words, Ryuuji stared at Yukio cautiously, wondering if Shiro had told him everything about what had happened yesterday. Had Yukio been kept in the dark too? Was he still being kept in the dark? Ryuuji and Rin had had almost a day to process through it all, but the pale boy seemed too composed for someone who had just found out he was Satan's offspring.

 _Does he have powers too?_ Ryuuji wondered, already jumping to his own conclusions.

"You gonna join us for breakfast, Yuki-chan?"

Yukio's smile faltered for the first time but he quickly brought it back up as he gazed at the pink-haired teen. "Unfortunately not. I already ate and besides," he pushed up his glasses and looked at Rin, "Father is waiting for us. I came to pick you up."

Rin's face fell. "Already?" He sighed and scratched his head. "Alright. If we gotta go..."

"W-Wait!" Ryuuji closed his fingers around Rin's arm before the other could go. "Can I…?"

Ryuuji bit his tongue and stopped himself. As much as he wanted to go, he wasn't sure his presence was welcome. Leaving Rin out of his sight made Ryuuji anxious, but Yukio didn't say anything about him coming…

"Ryuuji-kun. I'm just here for Nii-san." Yukio smiled softly. His tone was polite and diplomatic. "This is a family matter. I hope you understand."

Rin felt his chest clench with uneasiness at the thought of going somewhere without Ryuuji, even if it was only to his father.

Ryuuji shared his frustration. He frowned and tightened his grip on his best friend's arm.

"Rin. Gimme your phone."

"Huh?" Rin looked up at his friend before he fished his hand into his hoodie's pocket. "Why?" He held out the cellphone as Yukio waited patiently.

Ryuuji took it and quickly put his phone number in it.

"Well, ya finally got one, don't ya?"

The taller teen added Konekomaru's number for good measure, and after giving it a second's thought, he entered Renzou's too. When he was done, Ryuuji placed the phone back on Rin's waiting palm. He let his own rest there for a brief second. "Call me or text me when yer done. We can meet up later."

The words "if you can" were nowhere near the tip of his tongue. The firm expression on his face was reassuring in its own way.

Rin closed his fingers tightly around the device and smiled with a nod. "I will." He looked at the other two boys and smiled. "'S nice to meetcha. I'll see you guys later."

"Nii-san," Yukio muttered.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Rin sighed and spared the three a wave before he walked out of the cafeteria with his brother.

The walk back was mostly silent. Rin walked beside his brother, fumbling with the phone in his pocket. His tail was twitching with nerves but he did his best to keep it still. It was lucky for him that the hoodie he wore was thick enough to hide away any wayward twitches. Eventually, the silence became too much and Rin spoke up.

"So, Yukio." He looked at his younger brother and smiled. "How are you liking the school so far? It's huge, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is rather large." Yukio nodded in agreement.

"Did you get lost on your first day?" Rin asked with a teasing grin.

"Not really. The map they gave us was fairly simple." His younger brother's tone was even. Rin felt like he was talking to a wall.

"I see." He sighed and glanced at him. Did Yukio know now? Of course his father would have told him, right? "Yukio, did the old man—"

"I think that conversation should wait until we arrive at our destination, don't you think, Nii-san?" Yukio finally looked at him with the barest hint of a smile on his lips and Rin couldn't help but stammer a bit.

"R…Right."

The two boys fell back into silence.

It wasn't long before they arrived at a large, rather old and decrepit looking building. It was surely unused but Yukio walked up to it and opened the door. "This way," he said and Rin followed him in. It looked like a dorm of some kind, Rin realized, spotting the common room on one side of the hall and doors dotting the walls along the way. But the dorm that Ryuuji was staying in looked a lot more expensive. This place was clearly a dump.

"Father, I brought Nii-san." Yukio called into the hallway.

"What, already?" Shiro was walking down the stairs, carrying a cardboard box that looked as dusty and old as their surroundings. He looked rather shocked to see them and placed the box on one of the steps.

"You… told me to…" Yukio furrowed his brow.

"I told you to take your time." Shiro sighed. "I would've figured you'd join them for a bit." The priest just sighed and ran a hand through his short hair. "Ah well, since you're here, we might as well just get on with it."

Yukio was flushing a bit with embarrassment as Rin huffed, knowing that he could have had more time with Ryuuji. Even so, the two boys followed their father down the hallway towards a large, cafeteria-like room with several tables and a window peeking into a kitchen.

Shiro sat down on one of the long tables and Rin sat on the opposite side. Yukio took the spot beside their father. Rin was a bit surprised by his brother's presence and felt his nervousness start rising again. Had his father already told Yukio what was going on?

"It's alright." Shiro caught Rin's expression and gave him a placating, almost apologetic smile. "Yukio already knows what's going on."

"I've known for a while," Yukio confessed, glancing at his father who nodded encouragingly. "I've been studying to be an exorcist since we were seven. Two years ago, I got certified."

"What?!" Rin's eyes widened and he started at his brother in shock. "Wait, so… you knew about me?" He pointed at his ears as if that could possibly explain.

Yukio nodded. "Since we were children."

"Wait…" Rin looked between his father and his brother and felt a bit of anger and hurt curl up in his chest. "You both knew and you didn't tell me?"

"Yes," Shiro said firmly. "And if you listen, I'll explain to you why."

Rin swallowed down the heated protests rising in his throat and, to his credit, listened.

"Rin, I know that this is a huge shock to you." Shiro sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Honestly, I would have hoped that this would stay under wraps until you were an adult." The priest lifted his hand in a halting manner as Rin opened his mouth. "But it isn't because I wanted to keep it a secret. It's much more complicated than that."

"Then what?" Rin crossed his arms.

"I wanted you to be safe, Rin."

The words caught the young half-demon off guard and his anger diffused slightly.

"You're the son of Satan. And as much as we don't want to admit it, we have to," Shiro spoke firmly. "And being here puts you in danger."

"But I won't hurt anyone as long as I don't open the sword, right?" Rin put his hands on the table.

"The Vatican doesn't care about that." Shiro shook his head. "Those blue flames of yours are a mark of Satan. And ever since the Blue Night, the Vatican has been on edge about blue flames. They'll kill anything involved with Satan without a second thought. You won't have a chance."

Rin paled and swallowed dryly. "What's… the Blue Night?"

"It happened just before we were born." Yukio spoke this time. He pushed up his glasses. "Almost sixteen years ago, several temples and churches were struck with blue fire, killing many priests and monks. The exorcists are almost completely sure that it was an attack from Satan."

"And ever since then, they've always been on edge about blue flames." Shiro looked at Rin squarely in the eyes. "So when I knew you had inherited them, I had your powers sealed until there came a time where you'd be able to control them." He frowned a bit more sadly. "If possible, I just wanted you to live out a happy human life without ever having to worry about this. But what's done is done and now we have to deal with it."

"So what do I do?" Rin murmured.

"You're going to go to school here, just like you wanted." Shiro nodded. "But we have to keep your heritage a secret for as long as we possibly can. The Chairman is letting you take the entrance exam so you can be placed in school—"

"W-Wait! No one said anything about school!" Rin stammered in panic, finally registering the words.

"Nii-san, the exorcism training takes place in a cram school."

"What?!"

"And you will be attending normal high school while you're here," Shiro continued, speaking with an air of finality.

"You gotta be kidding me!" Rin's jaw dropped and a distraught expression overcame his face. He had never had any interest in high school and he had been planning to just work, but now it seemed like he didn't have a choice.

"I'm serious. Furthermore, the two of you are staying in this very dorm." Shiro nodded. "I worked it out with the Chairman and given the space we've got, you both each get your own rooms."

"Well that's a relief at least…" Rin muttered, leaning his cheek on his hand.

"Are you sure that's okay?" Yukio frowned but Shiro merely patted his shoulder.

"I'll be living here too, just next door to the both of you." He stood up. "Finally, there's one last thing." Shiro walked over to the window that peeked into the kitchen. Yukio and Rin both stood to follow him.

"This is Ukobach." Shiro held out a hand and a small red troll hopped up and waved from the counter.

"U-Ukobach?!" Yukio's eyes widened. "A demon that resides in fireplaces… What's it doing here?"

"He's going to be our cook." Shiro grinned. "He used to work for the Chairman but he so graciously relocated himself to this kitchen in order to take care of you kids' breakfasts and dinners."

 _"Nice to meet you!"_  Ukobach made a mewling sound but Rin heard the voice clearly in his head. He blinked a couple times and leaned closer.

"Nice to meet you, too, Ukobach!" Rin smiled brightly. "I like to cook too so I'm looking forward to trying your food!"

The small demon's eyes shined and he nodded enthusiastically.

Shiro chuckled. "Well, what do you think, Rin? Are you satisfied?" He looked at his son.

Rin looked up at the taller man and put his hands in his pockets. "Yeah, I guess. If I think of anything else, I can ask you, right?"

"Of course." Shiro ruffled Rin's hair which caused the teen to bat the hand away with loud protests.

The three of them made their way up the stairs and Shiro introduced both of them to their new rooms. Each room seemed to be made for two people but judging by the amount of rooms available to them, it only seemed reasonable to spread out. Shiro told them both to start unpacking and organize their rooms, warning them not to leave it for later.

Rin's bag was already sitting on one of the beds in his room and he pulled it open. The first thing he reached for was the new wooden box, still half buried under wrinkled clothes. He pulled it out and opened it, happy to see the letters sitting inside unharmed. He walked to the desk closest to his bed and placed it down before moving back to his bag and pulling out a few more clothes.

A small metallic clink caught Rin's attention and he looked down at the floor. The phone charm that Ryuuji had given him sat beside his shoe and he bent down to pick it up.

A smile encompassed his face. Rin pulled out the phone from his pocket and, with a bit of wrestling, managed to attach the charm to it. He swayed it back and forth, enjoying the way it hung there, before opening the contacts.

There, underneath the star, were three more names sitting innocently in the list. Rin smiled and rubbed his thumb over the screen. He glanced towards the clothes flowing out of his bag and wondered if it would be a good idea…

Well, why not? Rin clicked Ryuuji's number and tucked the phone between his ear, waiting for the familiar voice on the other line.

"Hey, Ryuuji!" He smiled cheerfully, the charm bumping against the back of his shoulder. "Wanna help me unpack?"


	31. April 3, 2009

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! Sorry for the wait in updates! It's been a little busy for us lately. Ideally, we'd like to update both UNT and Sincerely once a week, but for now it's going to be one week of UNT and one week of Sincerely until our schedules gets better. As usual, thanks for reading!

Seeing his younger brother walk up to the podium and confidently deliver the welcoming speech to the student body made Rin think. He'd really been shocked the night he'd arrived, when his father and his brother told him of the secrets they've been keeping. But listening to his brother speak made Rin realize that what they had said was true. Yukio wasn't little anymore.

After it was all done, Rin slipped out of the auditorium and decided to explore the large campus. He hadn't had time what with all the tutoring Ryuuji was giving him. He'd intended to meet up with his friends after the presentation was finished but he'd been told that they had an extra orientation in his homeroom, one of which Rin didn't have yet.

Rin sighed. He knew that the studying was needed but the way Ryuuji had been drilling him the past couple of days was a nightmare. His head hurt and information he didn't completely understand buzzed around in his head. And he had two more days to deal with this. His entrance exam was scheduled for the day before school started and he would be a late entry in whatever class his grade placed him in.

 _I won't get in the same class as Ryuuji, though…_  Rin thought to himself as he laced his fingers behind his head. His friend was in the top class alongside his brother. He was sure that he would be placed in one of the lower classes so he didn't really know why Ryuuji was trying so hard.

Still, Rin took a deep breath and nodded determinedly. With Ryuuji trying so hard to help him, the least he could do was get, at least, a decent grade. He couldn't make Ryuuji's efforts be in vain.

How much time had passed? Rin looked around, still marveling at the size and elegance of the school, and noticed that the students were starting to crowd the place. Maybe orientation had finished… Rin took out his phone and chose Ryuuji's name in the contacts, choosing to send a text.

The reason why he was really here was getting closer. The first day of cram school and their first class together was bound to be soon.

 _[All done?_ ( ・◇・) _?]_

Rin pressed send on the text and fiddled around with his phone a bit, waiting for the reply, but he was soon interrupted by a low whine.

It was that dog again. The white Scottish terrier that Rin now knew to be Mephisto was sitting on its heels, wagging his tail as he stared up at him.

Rin blinked as he glanced down at the dog. "Mephisto?" He looked around a couple times before bending down. "What're you doing here?" he whispered.

The dog didn't answer. Instead, he tugged on Rin's tie, and after making sure the teen was facing in the other direction, he scampered down the hallway.

Rin nearly choked and rubbed his neck, looking up in time to see the dog scampering off.  _This is like deja-vu…_  he thought to himself as he hurried after the dog. He checked the phone and frowned at the lack of response before shoving it back into his pocket. Where was Mephisto taking him?

He didn't stop chasing after the dog until they were outside the school grounds. After they took a turn down the nearest road, the dog scrambled up to the top of a post and transformed back to his human form.

"Hello again~☆" Mephisto grinned down at the dark-haired teenager. "You're looking considerately better since the last time we met."

Rin huffed slightly and stared up at Mephisto, crossing his arms over his chest. "Thanks, I guess?" He frowned. "So what're you doing here? And in that dog form again!" He rubbed his neck irritably. "You almost choked me, yanno."

"My apologies." Mephisto gave a shrug that didn't look apologetic in the slightest. His eyes lingered briefly on the neat, well-done knot sitting on the half-demon's chest. "But as I said before, if I were to wander around freely, too much attention would be drawn to us. And attention is the last thing the son of Satan needs." The Principal smiled thinly at Rin, all mouth and no teeth.

"As for why I am here," he continued, using that that same light tone as he pulled out a golden key from his chest pocket, "I believe your father neglected to hand you one of these." He tossed the key over to the teen.

Rin lifted his hand and quickly caught the key. "Another one…?" He looked it over. "What's this one do?"

"This key will allow you to access the school of exorcism from any door at any time." Mephisto hopped off the post he was sitting on and landed gracefully on his feet. "Which, of course, leaves you with little excuses to be tardy," he added with a small wink. "Want to give it a try? Your classes should be starting soon, so it would be best not to linger…"

As if to stress the Principal's words, Rin's phone chose that moment to beep loudly.

Rin quickly dug his hand into his pocket and looked at the name on the screen. Ryuuji texted him. "Um. Hold on a sec," he said to Mephisto as he opened the text.

_[Finished. Where're ya? Gonna be late.]_

_[Coming. Meet you at class!_ ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ _]_

Rin quickly sent the text and pushed the phone back into his pocket. "Sorry." He gave an apologetic smile towards the Chairman. "It was Ryuuji," he offered as if it would be a valid excuse for the abrupt interruption.

Mephisto's eyebrow twitched slightly. Despite the smile on his face, he looked clearly annoyed.

"I hope your attention isn't as easily as distracted when you are in class. Your teachers won't take kindly to that," he warned.

"I will! I mean, I won't!" Rin waved his hands quickly. "I mean, I'll be good." He lifted the key in an attempt to change the subject. "So you said this key leads to cram school?" he asked with a slight laugh.

The Principal stared at Rin for a moment before letting out a sigh of over-exaggerated dismay. He shook his head faintly and gestured at the space behind him. "Indeed it does. Shall we get going?"

Rin's laugh turned uneasy and he nodded. "Sorry…" he muttered again. "Yeah." He adjusted the strap of his sword sleeve on his shoulder before following after Mephisto. "So I can put this key in any door, right?"

The Principal inclined his head at the words. "That's right. Why don't you go ahead and give this one a try?" After leading them towards a large door, Mephisto turned back into a dog and stared at Rin expectantly.

The half-demon looked down at the dog before stepping forward towards the door and pushing the key into the awaiting lock. It turned without resistance. Rin opened the door and peeked in. The hallway looked way too big for the place the door had seemingly led. These keys were confusing. Still, he marveled vocally and stepped inside, pulling the key out of the door and pocketing it.

"Impressed?" No normal dog could look as self-satisfied as Mephisto did at that moment. He took point as he began to lead Rin at a brisk pace. "Now, first years have class in—"

"Rin! There ya are!"

Ryuuji's voice carried down the corridor, interrupting Mephisto mid-speech. Hurried footsteps followed the voice and the tall teen along with Konekomaru and Renziy soon came into view.

"Ryuuji! Hey, guys!" Rin smiled and waved at the trio. 

Ryuuji waved back, but upon spotting the familiar dog, his expression dimmed slightly. He gave the dog a a wary, distrustful look before turning his gaze back to Rin. He looked worried.

On the other hand—

"You've got a pretty cute dog accompanyin' ya there," Renzou commented as he peered down at the animal. The Scottish terrier's annoyed expression melted into an innocent one as he wagged his tail.

"Where did you get him?" Konekomaru asked, looking equally as curious.

The question made Rin's smile shrink just a bit. He couldn't tell them who the dog really was. "Oh it's just a st-" No, a stray didn't make any sense. The dog looked way too clean, and that bow… "Just, um… My… Dad's dog!" Rin's eyes lit up. "Yeah! He followed me from the dorm 'cause he was lonely." Rin nodded. "He's pretty cute, huh?"

"Hahah, definitely!"

Mephisto preened under the attention and leaned in when Renzou bent down to scratch behind his ear.

Ryuuji looked sickened but he said nothing to refute Rin's words. He gestured at the hallway with a tilt of his head. "We oughta start headin' in, don'tcha think? C'mon."

Rin nodded and looked towards the white dog. "C'mon, Me...phy... Mephy." He glanced at the other boys before patting his own leg to call Mephisto to his side. The dog let out a slight huffing noise at the gesture but quietly complied. They headed down the hall and stopped at a door that, when opened, revealed an old and dirty looking classroom. There were only four people already inside.

"This place is a dump..." Rin muttered, wrinkling his nose.

Ryuuji didn't look impressed either. "Tell me 'bout it…"

Besides them, Renzou perked up at the sight of the two girls sitting at the front of the classroom.

"Lucky~♥" he chanted under his breath, much to Ryuuji and Konekomaru's dismay.

"Don't even think abo—" Ryuuji  began warningly, but before he could finish his threat, Renzou quickly headed straight for the second pew in the row right next to where the girls were sitting.

"C'mon, guys!" Renzou waved at them and beckoned them over with a cheery grin.

Rin scratched his head with a slight sigh. He looked at the girls and while one did look kinda cute, the other one's sharp glare made him glance away. _No thanks.  
_

Rin looked up at Ryuuji and lightly nudged his arm. "Let's sit together?" He pointed to the table in front of the one Renzou had taken.

Without taking his eyes off his pink-haired friend, Ryuuji let out a harried sigh and nodded. "Yeah…"

The three of them joined Renzou. Konekomaru took a seat next to the pink-haired teenager while Rin and Ryuuji took the seats in front of them. When Mephisto jumped up onto Rin's lap, Ryuuji finally asked the question that had been on his mind since he had first spotted the dog.

"Why's the Principal here?" Ryuuji muttered quietly, glancing between Rin and Mephisto.

"I'm interested in overseeing how your first class goes. Pay no attention to my cute little self~" the dog whispered back in a tone low enough to not be overheard.

Rin blinked and patted the dog's head in his lap before placing the Kurikara between him and Ryuuji, leaning it against the table. "Yeah. He gave me the key for the place," Rin said, pointing to the pocket where the golden key was tucked away. Ryuuji nodded at that, and after giving the dog one last dubious glance, he turned his attention towards the front of the class.

At that moment, the door to the classroom opened, signaling the teacher's arrival. But the sight of the person who walked in through the door made Rin's eyes widen considerably.

"Good afternoon, class! My name is Fujimoto Shiro and I'll be your teacher for Basic Demonology and Anti-Demon Pharmacology!" Shiro placed his briefcase on the teacher's desk and met his students' gazes with a grin. "Nice to meet you all."

"O-Old man?!" Rin sputtered a little too loudly.

"Ah, ah, Okumura-kun." Shiro smirked. "You're in class. Best to lower your voice, don't you think?"

Beside Rin, Ryuuji's eyes similarly became as wide as saucers. "Your dad's one of our teachers?!" he hissed quietly at his friend, stunned at the revelation.

Mephisto's stretched his paws over the desk as he answered for Rin. "Indeed he is. He's been teaching here for almost twenty years," he revealed. "And he has grown quite the reputation~♥" he added, wagging his tail as he caught Shiro's gaze.

Shiro spotted the dog and immediately stepped down from the front to give Mephisto a fond scratch behind the ears. "Are you gonna stick here or join me at the front?" he said as his fingers moved to scratch the dog under his chin.

"……"

The class watched mutedly as the white Scottish terrier jumped up on the desk and then into Shiro's arms.

"Guess he really missed your dad…" Renzou muttered quietly from behind them, grinning in amusement.

"Guess so…" Rin blinked, shock still buzzing around in his system.

Shiro chuckled and held the dog against his chest, petting him as he returned to the front of the class. "Well! As I was saying… Today is your first class in Basic Demonology. We'll start this class with an easy question. Raise your hands if you have not sustained a Mashou."

Rin's eyebrows furrowed and he looked at Ryuuji. "What's a Mashou?" he asked.

Ryuuji glanced down and caught Rin's questioning look. "It's either a wound or illness that's inflicted by demons," he explained quietly, not wanting to disturb the class. "Ya gotta get one to be able to become an exorcist or else you won't be able to see demons." He craned his neck slightly and pointed to the nearly healed gashes on his cheek with his thumb. "'S how I was able to see that demon the other day. When I first showed up, he just looked like a regular person."

"Oh." Rin straightened up and glanced around. The cute brown-haired girl sitting nearby and a hooded dude in the back both raised their hands.

"Two then." Shiro placed the dog down on the desk and absentmindedly scratched his neck and ears with two hands. "Well then, we'll get started. The classroom we're currently in isn't really used all that often. Because of that, it's become a home to a family of Goblins."

"Are you serious?" The girl with purple hair and rather short eyebrows looked at their teacher in an indignant manner.

"Ah..." The quiet-looking girl beside her spoke up. "Is it really okay to be in here?"

Shiro gave them a reassuring grin. "Not to worry, not to worry. Goblins usually avoid light and groups of people. We're safe for right now." He gave Mephisto, who was thoroughly enjoying the attention, a couple pats before straightening his bow and opening his briefcase. The Scottish terrier dutifully jumped off the desk without prompting.

"But of course," Shiro continued, "when any demon smells blood, especially rotten blood, they get pretty pissed." He took a corked vial out of his bag and showed it to the class. "Today we'll be catching a goblin and using it to perform the Mashou on you two."

The class listened to the lecture and attentively watched as Shiro began the preparations for the ritual.

Of course, Renzou's attention didn't hold out for long. Leaning his head on his propped up hand, he allowed his gaze to wander from their teacher to the back of Ryuuji's head. From his position, he was able to catch sight of the fading bruise that lingered on his friend's chin.

"Guess you lucked out on this one, huh, Bon?"

"I don't think you can count that being lucky…" Konekomaru murmured in a dry tone.

"Yo, pinky-kun. Quiet," Shiro said as he pulled out a large carton of milk from his bag.

"Ah—sorry, sensei!" Renzou straightened up and a sheepish smile spread across his face.

Shiro nodded and placed a hand on top of the milk carton. "Another thing that Goblins like, besides blood, is milk. So we don't send the entire nest into a blood frenzy, we're gonna dilute this rotten animal blood with ten parts milk and see if we can just lure out a couple of them."

He opened the carton and uncorked the vial. Shiro wasted no time in pouring the blood into the carton and screwing it shut. He corked the vial and stowed it away in his briefcase. The brief pungent scent caused the classroom to rustle ominously but Shiro paid it no attention as he picked up the carton and shook the contents in order to mix it thoroughly.

"And now," Shiro pulled a small feeding bowl out of his bag and poured a bit of the milk into it, "we're going to turn down the lights. Suguro-kun, if you would." He pointed to the dial on the wall beside the door as he placed the bowl on the floor. "Just dim it a little bit please. Not all the way off."

Not having expected the attention, Ryuuji tensed upon being addressed. He silently berated himself for his reaction. "Ah, yes, sir," he muttered as he pushed back his chair and got up to his feet.

Dimming the lights had the intended effect. As Ryuuji took a step to head back to his seat, the classroom began to rattle again.

"Wait, wait, wait." Shiro nudged Ryuuji back towards the light switch with a whisper. "Wait right there until I tell you."

There was scuttling heard around the students' feet and finally a little mewling growl. Shiro moved slowly, taking each step cautiously and fluidly, making no sudden movements.

Then, swiftly, he reached down and grabbed what looked like a small, struggling creature. "Alright, Suguro-kun! Please turn the lights back all the way on!" He struggled with the creature until the lights put it into full view. There were a couple others that quickly hissed and fled at the bright lights, back into the filth that covered the back of the classroom.

"Alright, kids. This is a Goblin." Shiro held the monkey-like creature by the arms as it flailed. It snapped its jaw at the exorcist's hand but was unable to reach it.

To the two students who had yet to receive the Mashou, they merely saw their teacher grappling at the air. Everyone else in the room, save for the blonde-haired boy sitting in the corner, leaned forward to get a closer look.

"Oooh…!"

Rin's eyes widened as he stared at the wriggling creature. It was almost identical to the one in the grocery store where he'd lost his previous job.  _So it was real…_

"It's got a pretty dumb face," Renzou said in a mild tone with his usual, ever-present grin. "Aren't demons supposed to be scarier than that?"

"Hah… Betcha won't be thinkin' tha same when it's trying to bite yer head off." Ryuuji shot the pink-haired teen as smirk before finally getting back to his seat.

"That's right." Shiro grinned. "But this one's just a baby. A Hobgoblin to be specific. The big daddy Goblins are huge bastards. You don't want to deal with them right now, though they're no more than just oversized pests once you guys get up to a higher level."

Shiro stepped down from the front of the class and walked over to the two girls. "And what's your name, little lady?" He smiled kindly to the nervous-looking girl.

"Huh? Me?" The brown-haired girl automatically pointed a finger at her face, her hand half-covering her mouth. As if embarrassed by the gesture, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and took a small glance at the purple-haired girl sitting next to her before giving their teacher a timid smile. "My name is Paku. Paku Noriko."

"Nice to meet you, Paku-san." Shiro nodded. "I need you to hold out your arm. You're gonna feel a little prick. It's almost gonna feel like a dog's nail but just a little sharper."

"Um…" Paku's smile fell as she hesitated to comply. Her hands clenched around the fabric of her skirt and they remained tightly bunched up there until he felt a warm touch fall over them. The slight reassuring squeeze her friend gave her allowed her to relax.

"Okay. Like this…?"

She held out her arm and looked up at her teacher again.

"Yep, just like that." Shiro gave her a reassuring grin and leaned down, pulling the hobgoblin's claw to her arm. With a quick swipe and a small dribble of blood on the pale skin, Shiro pulled the flailing demon away. "There we go. Not so hard, right?"

The slight prick made Paku wince, but the reaction was mild compared to the hushed gasp that fell from her lips at the next moment.

"T-That's a demon?" she stammered as she looked at the hobgoblin in her flailing teacher's arms.

"That's right." Shiro lifted the creature and stretched out its arms so Paku could take a better look. Paku examined it curiously, but once Mephisto started trotting his way over with a band aid in his mouth, Shiro turned towards the second candidate leaving her friend to fret over her injured arm.

Shiro swung the hobgoblin in his hands as he walked, making it just a bit disoriented. "And who are you?"

The hooded figure sitting on the back didn't say anything until he was standing by their desk.

"…Yamada," was the name the guy muttered in a low voice. He stretched out his arm in front of him and pushed back his sleeve slightly, just enough to reveal the pale skin of his wrist.

"Yamada." Shiro looked at the hooded boy and smirked slightly. "Nice to meet you, Yamada-kun." He pressed the hobgoblin's claw into the offered arm with a bit less care than he did with Paku.

"Alright!" Shiro returned to the front of the class. The hobgoblin's thrashing had died down slightly and it looked tired but Shiro didn't let go of it. "Now that we've got one of these, we'll start with a little hobgoblin lesson."

Rin propped his chin on his hands as he watched his father lecture. He was speaking as he teased the demon with his finger, pointing to different parts of its body and pulling his finger away in time before the hobgoblin bit it. It was strange seeing him do these things. He still remembered the terrifying persona his father had had when exorcising the demon from the other day, but now it was almost like his father was back to normal self. Or maybe that man he had ran alongside was the real Shiro and this man in front of him now was an act... Rin scowled to himself, closing his eyes. Thinking about this kind of stuff hurt his head.

Ryuuji jostled Rin's arm a little.

 _Pay attention,_ read the message the taller teen had quickly jotted down on the corner of his notebook. The rest of the page was filled with notes regarding the lecture already. There was a small doodle of the hobgoblin in the middle of the page.

Rin stared at the page in shock. How much had he missed?! He quickly pulled open a notebook and grabbed a pencil from his bag. As he tuned in to the lecture, he found he was completely lost. He attempted to piece together meager notes from what he could gather from the lecture as well as peeking at Ryuuji's pristine handwriting.

Once the lecture was over, Shiro released the small creature. The hobgoblin growled and whined, disoriented by the sudden fall to the floor. The moment it gained its bearings, it jumped towards Shiro's leg but the man kicked the tiny demon and it tumbled away between the tables. With a loud wail, it retreated back into the filth at the back of the classroom.

The classroom shuddered and rattled more violently than before.

Shiro stayed perfectly calm and moved to the teacher's desk. "Class, I advise that all of you move up to the front." He lifted Mephisto to the surface of the desk and pulled a shotgun out from underneath. A low, rumbling growl made random items tumble off tabletops and pictures fall from the walls.

Shiro cocked the shotgun. "You all are about to meet the big daddy Goblin."

Ryuuji's eyes were immediately drawn to the sight of the gun but Paku's startled gasp of breath distracted him.

"Holy crap!" Renzou squeaked as a pipe burst and steam spread across the room thickly like a fog.

The white dog sitting on Shiro's desk made a sound akin to a snort, but no one paid much notice to it as they scrambled to the front of the classroom.

Rin snagged the Kurikara, carrying it with him to the front with the rest of the students who took shelter behind their teacher's back. He found Ryuuji in the forming fog and stuck by his side.

Shiro was whistling, scanning the room as he walked around to the front of the desk. "Do your best not to scream, alright, kids? They like that," he said off-handedly.

But no sooner than he had said that, a large creature dropped onto the desks, crushing a few and scattering others against the wall. It had to have been at least ten feet tall and it looked like a larger, more menacing version of the tiny hobgoblin Shiro had held captive before.

It screeched loudly and pounced towards them, but Shiro was already holding the gun level. The blast that erupted from the shotgun was loud and deafening and the goblin screeched in pain as it flew back. Shiro was reloading and stepping forward, aiming again. After one more blast, the goblin disintegrated into a black mist.

"Whoa…"

"He defeated it so quickly…" Konekomaru murmured, looking just as amazed as Renzou did.

Ryuuji looked at Rin's dad wide-eyed and felt as awed as he'd been earlier this week when he had first seen Shiro defeat a demon. This time, without the distractions that held his attention back then, he was able to truly appreciate what an impressive sight the older man made.

"S... So cool!" Rin's eyes widened and he lifted his hands up with a broad grin. "Oh man! Did you see that?!" He tugged on Ryuuji's sleeve. "How he went like POW and it knocked the demon right off its feet and then POW and WHOA!" he cried out, waving his hands excitedly.

"Alright, alright." Shiro chuckled and rested the shotgun on his shoulder. "That's all for today. Next class, we'll be meeting in our permanent homeroom at room 1156. Go on and gather your things and make sure not to forget anything."

The collective sound the class made indicated that they understood. As the smoke began to disperse from the classroom, they all headed back to their seats.

"This is actually kinda cooler than I thought it'd be. Still freaky though," Renzou said offhandedly as he picked up his bag.

"Are you coming back to the dorm with us, Bon?" Konekomaru asked.

Ryuuji glanced at Rin for a second before shaking his head. "Can't be wastin' any time. Gotta keep drillin' Rin before the exam."

Renzou shot Rin a pitying look.

"Better you than me, man…"

Rin sighed as he pulled the strap of the sword sleeve around his shoulder and grabbed his bag. "'M getting a headache just thinking about it..." he complained.

"Ah, you two gonna keep studying for the exam?" Shiro had placed the shotgun down on the desk and was holding Mephisto in his arms again, scratching his neck. The way the dog relaxed under his touch would have been a cute sight if Ryuuji wasn't aware that that was their Principal in disguise.

"I wanna thank you for looking after Rin so far, Ryuuji-kun. I appreciate it." Shiro grinned at Ryuuji.

The tall teen's attention shifted back to their teacher. "Ah. 'S nothin' to thank me for…" Ryuuji looked off to the side, somewhat embarrassed, but catching a glimpse of Rin's face made it easier to continue. "Wish we had more time than what we've got. Still, I'll do my best and drill everything I can into him," he said firmly.

"As expected of Bon." Renzou looked amused at the declaration.

Rin withered slightly and scratched the back of his head. "School's gonna be easier than Ryuuji's tutoring."

Shiro ruffled Rin's hair, much to the teen's distaste. "Just do your best and make sure to thank him. He's working hard too."

"I know, I know!" Rin growled and batted away his father's hand. "Just shut up already, Old man! Stop treating me like a little kid!"

"I can't help it when you're so tiny!" Shiro sighed wistfully. "Ah, whatever happened to the little Rin who was always so sweet?"

"SHUT UP!" Rin snarled.

Ryuuji snickered at the flustered sight of his friend. "See? I'm not the only who remembers when you were a tiny brat." He smirked.

"Oh my god! I'm not tiny!" Rin cried out in frustration and pressed his hands on Ryuuji's shoulder, pushing him towards the door. "Let's go already! We have studying to do, right!?"

"H-Hey!"

Shiro laughed and waved at them. "See you boys later! Study hard!"

"…And there they go. Those two are in their own little world, huh?" Renzou let out a snort and glanced down at Konekomaru. "Dude… what's up with you?"

Konekomaru, who was a half head shorter than Rin, gave Renzou a smile that looked more harried than anything otherwise. "Nothing. Absolutely nothing."


	32. April 5, 2009

"Rin!"

Rin looked up from his bed where he was currently relaxing with a manga. He'd taken the entrance exam that morning and was now firmly concentrated on wasting away the rest of his Sunday. It was as the sun was starting to set that Shiro opened the door to his room, holding up an envelope with a grin.

"Your results came in. I got them from the Chairman," his father said, waving the envelope with Rin's name on it.

Rin immediately got up and swallowed dryly. The test had been hard. Just thinking about what results he could have possibly gotten scared him. Still, due to Ryuuji's tutelage, there had been certain parts of the test that he had been confident on when answering. So perhaps…

Rin took the envelope and was about to stick his finger under the flap when he paused. "Wait!" He looked at his father. "I have to call Ryuuji! I can't open this without him!"

Shiro smirked knowingly. "I figured. Go on and invite your friends. You can have them over for dinner."

Rin grinned brightly and his tail curled behind him in delight. He quickly took out his phone and picked out Ryuuji's name in the contact list.

It took a few rings before the line connected.

 _"Rin?"_  Ryuuji sounded surprised.  _"What's up? Thought ya were in the middle of drownin' yerself in manga."_

"My old man brought the results!" Rin gripped the envelope in one hand, staring at in slight trepidation. "And… Well. Since you helped me study so hard, I wanted you to be here when I opened it." He glanced at Shiro and started smiling a bit. "And you should bring along Shima and Konekomaru 'cause dad said you guys can stay for dinner! If… you're not busy of course."

 _"Dude, no way I'm missin' this."_  Though the words were delivered calmly, there was an eager tilt in Ryuuji's voice that betrayed his composed answer. Then, there was a slight pause.  _"…Ya cookin'?"_

"I can cook." Rin laughed slightly.

"You gotta make sure to ask Ukobach for permission," Shiro said, chiming in as he leaned against the doorframe of Rin's room.

Rin nodded. "I'll cook up somethin' special for us, okay?" he said into the phone, beaming.

 _"Sounds great!"_  There was no way to disguise the keen desire in Ryuuji's voice.  _"We'll be right over, then. And hey… don't freak out, okay? I'm sure ya did jus' fine. Ya studied real hard an' did yer best. 'S what's important,"_  he added, sounding firm.

"Yeah." Rin swallowed again, staring at the envelope. Ryuuji was right. He couldn't have done that bad. He did his best and he was sure that Ryuuji had taught him enough to at least get a decent grade. This was different from middle school. He took a deep breath and nodded resolutely. "Yeah. Okay, now hurry up and come over!"

Ryuuji let out a low chuckle.  _"Yeah, alright. I'll see ya soon."_

After that, it didn't take long for the Kyoto trio to arrive at Rin's old dorm. Having been there previously, and fully aware of the reasons behind why Rin's family was staying there, Ryuuji didn't bat an eye upon arrival.

"Sheesh. This place looks like a haunted mansion." Renzou's words were as uncensored as ever. The pink-haired teen grimaced as they walked in through the door.

"I thought this building was unused," Konekomaru said, peering around curiously.

"Oh, good evening." Yukio caught sight of them as he walked down the stairs. He greeted them with a smile. "Nii-san is cooking in the kitchen. Come on in." The younger Okumura gestured down the hall and the trio followed his lead.

Rin was folding gyoza dumplings as oil heated up on the stove. Ukobach was beside him, slicing chicken and vegetables. But upon spotting the three boys following Yukio, Rin grinned and waved through the window. "Hey, guys!"

The four of them approached the kitchen.

"Hey." Ryuuji raised a hand casually and shot his best friend a small smile.

"That smells pretty good! What are ya makin'?" Renzou asked right off the bat as he peered in through the window.

"Gyoza and Oyakodon!" Rin announced cheerfully. However, he quickly cleaned his hands and reached into his pocket as he stepped out of the kitchen. He held the unopened envelope in his hand and took a deep breath.

"Ryuuji, you open it!" He held out the envelope to him. "These are the results for the test."

Ryuuji looked down at the envelope in surprise. A glance back at his best friend made him aware of the nervousness lingering behind Rin's smile. He didn't reach out to accept the envelope.

"The one who studied so hard for this is you, ain't it? You should do it," he told him. In an attempt to soothe the other's nerves, Ryuuji decided to lighten the mood by riling him up. "Ya scared?" he asked, smirking. There was a taunting challenge in his tone.

"I'm not scared!" Rin huffed and looked down at the envelope. "Okay, yeah, a little bit scared," he admitted, glancing back up at Ryuuji.

"Come on, Nii-san." Yukio prompted. "Open it. It can't be too bad."

Rin frowned, but as he looked at his brother, Ryuuji and the rest of his friends, he gave a resolute nod and took a deep breath. Rin stuffed his finger under the flap and tore the envelope open, quickly pulling out the pack of papers inside. He started reading the letter stapled at the front. He'd been accepted into the academy; though that much was certain, a little part of him relaxed right then, knowing that he wasn't stupid enough for them to just kick him out despite Mephisto's words.

Finally, towards the end of the letter, he saw it.

"I'm in… 1-C." Rin's eyes widened. He'd gotten an average grade. He'd been expecting to hit the bottom class but… He'd actually done pretty well. "I'm in 1-C!" he announced more excitedly, looking up at Ryuuji with a grin.

Ryuuji's face mirrored Rin's own. "Good job!" The taller boy got close enough to see the confirmation himself, throwing an arm across Rin's shoulders and mussing up his hair. "See? Knew ya could do it!"

"Congratulations, Rin-kun," Konekomaru told him with a smile.

"Heh, seriously, nice goin', man! Looks like this means we're gonna be in the same class," Renzou said, shooting him a grin.

Rin grinned brightly, leaning into Ryuuji's hand. "Seriously?" He smiled at Renzou before snickering towards his little brother. "I bet you're jealous~ I got classes with Shima~"

Yukio looked unfazed by Rin's words and smiled. "I would have thought Nii-san would be jealous since I'm in the same class as Ryuuji-kun," he said in a cheerful voice.

"What, seriously?!" Rin looked at Ryuuji as if he'd been betrayed.

"Sheesh, what're ya lookin' at me like that for?" Ryuuji pushed the other's head down. "If it bothers ya that much, study harder and catch up to us."

Renzou let out a small sound of amusement. "There's no way we can catch up to ya, man. Anyway, there's no need to try so hard in school! We're aiming to be exorcists, after all! This kinda stuff doesn't really matter."

"Shima-san…"

Ryuuji gave his childhood friend a sharp glare. "Tch! Ya haven't changed a bit." His grip on Rin tightened protectively. "Listen up, Rin! Ya better pay no mind to this idiot durin' class! Don't get dragged down to his level."

Renzou gave him a wounded look and clutched at his chest as if he had been shot. "Harsh!"

Ryuuji ignored him.

"This time next year, I'll make sure ya at least get bumped up with Konekomaru instead," he said decisively.

"Seriously?" Rin closed one eye in a playful wince. "You're such a drill sergeant!"

"Why not study with them, Ren-kun?" Yukio looked at the pink-haired teen. "There's no harm in bettering your grades."

The suggestion caused Renzou to glance at Yukio. The pink-haired teen grimaced and shook his head. "No thanks. Think I'm fine right where I am. And anyway, we can't all be like the two of ya, Yuki-chan."

"Yuki-chan?" Rin looked between the two, vaguely remembering Renzou using the same name just a few days ago. He hadn't really paid much attention to it then, but now, he snickered at it. "Yuki-chan makes you sound like a little girl, Yukio!" he said, teasing his brother good-naturedly.

The words had some truth to it. Yukio colored slightly in response. He frowned, looking properly abashed at his brother's words.

Renzou rubbed the back of his neck at the attention, but he didn't look all that perturbed for being called out.

"Heh. Slip of tongue. Guess we really oughta move past those old nicknames, don't ya think?"

"I suppose it is a bit childish…" Yukio muttered bashfully.

Rin couldn't help but snicker again at the exchange. It was then that Ukobach called for his attention, mewling from the window.

"Oh! Right, let me finish dinner." Rin grinned up at Ryuuji before ducking out from under his hand and returning to the kitchen. "You guys can just chill! Dinner'll be ready soon!"

Indeed, it wasn't long before they were all sitting at one of the tables in the cafeteria. Even Yukio, who had left for a short while, now sat with them. Everyone's plates were already served and a large platter of gyoza sat at the center of the table.

"Wow! This is really good!" Konekomaru made a happy expression after taking his first bite.

"Seriously! I'm impressed! Whoever manages to snatch ya up is gonna be set for life, don't ya think, Bon?" Renzou shot the taller teen a grin after swallowing.

Sitting across from Konekomaru, Ryuuji made a vague, noncommittal sound in response which indicated he wasn't quite paying attention. His focus clearly centered on his food, and though he was taking great care to savor each bite, he was already piling up more gyoza on his plate.

"Ah, it's alright…" Rin looked down at his plate, flushing at the compliments.

"Don't be so modest, Nii-san," Yukio said with a smile. He was eating properly, sitting up with his back straight and taking small bites. "After all, cooking is one of Nii-san's only productive talents."

Rin shot Yukio a dirty look and huffed.

Renzou bit his lip to stop himself from snickering and instead gave Rin, who was sitting across from him, a slight sympathetic shrug. "Well, he's right on one thing at least. Your cooking sure ain't a bad thing to be proud of."

Ryuuji snorted quietly in response. "That ain't mean much, comin' from ya," he muttered.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" the pink-haired teen protested, catching his words.

Ryuuji finally spared him a glance from across the table. "I'm jus' sayin', a guy who's only proud of bein' a pervert shouldn't be handin' out that type of praise," he told him with a derisive smirk.

"Hey!"

Before Renzou could continue to protest, Konekomaru let out a quiet sigh beside him. "Bon, don't rile up Shima-san while we're eating. Even if what you're saying is true."

"You too, Koneko-san?" Renzou shot both of them dirty glances. He turned back to his food with a scowl.

Yukio smiled sympathetically. "Ren…zou-kun hasn't changed much at all, I see."

Ryuuji let out a dismissive snort at the words. Rin nudged him slightly and caught his gaze with a grin.

"Don't worry, Ryuuji." He spoke confidently. "I'll keep an eye on Shima for you!"

"You're the one that needs keeping an eye on," Yukio muttered into his food.

"Ha? I didn't quite hear you, little brother." Rin shot his brother an insincere smile, grinding his teeth. Yukio returned it easily, unfazed.

Dinner continued on in that manner. Even though this was the first time the five of them had sat down like this, they all talked to each other in a relaxed, easy manner. They took turns making fun of both Renzou and Rin for a while, but eventually the conversation turned away from school and towards stories about them growing up. Though they had all kept in contact with each other since they were children, reliving the memories together was fun, especially once they started to fill in certain gaps, such as the fact that aside from Renzou, Yukio was the only other person among them that had gone out on a date before.

"Never heard 'bout that before," Ryuuji said, looking at the younger twin in surprise.

"Oh yeah!" Rin grinned a little too gleefully. "You shoulda seen him when he got home. He was all red like nothin' you've ever seen!"

"N-Nii-san!" Yukio's cheeks darkened as he spoke in protest. "That's enough! It was a long time ago!"

"Sorta like that!" Rin laughed, ignoring Yukio's words and instead focusing on the red creeping up his brother's face.

As the conversation continued, Ryuuji couldn't help but to smile slightly. His gaze kept wandering from time to time as he glanced at Rin out of the corner of his eye. His best friend looked at ease. There was no trace of the fear and confusion that had been there the other night. Instead, this moment reminded Ryuuji of his first night at Rin's house, when they'd sat next to each other on the bed, talking about their plans for the future. Ryuuji couldn't believe that so much had changed in only a week. Seeing everyone together like this made him happy. Seeing Rin surrounded by other people, smiling…

It made him glad.

He only wished they could push the complications that had risen alongside it away.

_If they found out about Rin… would things be this easy?_

As Renzou began badgering Konekomaru about his pen pal, which he rarely talked about even after all this time, Ryuuji's gaze couldn't help but to linger on them. Looking at Konekomaru reminded him of all the times they'd gone with their younger friend to pray in front of his family's gravestone. The Blue Night was an event that had killed a lot of their family, but…

 _None of that is Rin's fault…_  Ryuuji knew that deep in his heart, and he thought his friends would understand too… but it was dangerous to let this secret out.

Father Fujimoto's words came to Ryuuji's mind again.

_"You may think that the world is divided into lies and truths but rarely is it ever so black and white."_

Ryuuji really did understand that now. It didn't mean he had to like it.


	33. April 7, 2009

Last night had definitely been an experience. Rin walked down the hallway after splitting off with his brother and headed towards his classroom. His step was light and his chest was fluttering, for last night, he'd met a girl.

Moriyama Shiemi. The situation in which Rin met her could have been a little more... peaceful. But still. It'd really gone well and Shiemi seemed to get along with him. Maybe he'd be allowed to visit her and see how she was doing after cram school.

In his deep thought, Rin ended up walking past his class and had to double back. But he did eventually find it and walked in, taking his seat in the fourth row in front of a pink-haired teen. He put his bag down and sat backwards in the chair, his chin resting on the back.

"Hey, Shima!" Rin smiled wide. "Guess what happened last night."

Renzou glanced up from the manga he was reading, and upon catching the look on Rin's face, his eyebrows rose.

"You're lookin' cheery today. What's up?"

Rin let out a gleeful snicker. "Last night, I met this girl who's totally cute and she's totally into me." He grinned brightly. "I'm going to go see her again after cram school."

Renzou's eyebrows shot up. After getting over his surprise, he put his manga down and leaned forward on his desk immediately.

"No way. Lucky! Who's she? How'd ya two meet?!" He paused. "Wait. Does Bon know about this?"

Rin puffed out his chest and grinned. "I saved her from a demon!" He rubbed his nose and chuckled softly. He recalled the night before, how he had been with his father and brother in the demon-possessed garden.

"And yeah, I called him last night!" Rin nodded. He'd told Ryuuji all about it after he'd gotten home.

"Huh. Surprised he didn't make a racket about it this morning. Geez, can't believe ya met another demon." Renzou stared at Rin incredulously. "Ya seem to be a magnet for 'em. Remind me never to stay alone with ya," he said jokingly before shaking his head.

"But anyway, how'd ya even manage to pull that off? We haven't started learnin' about how to do any of that yet!"

"Well…" Rin rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "It was sort of a mission with my dad and Yukio. But I totally helped," he said proudly.

Understanding seeped into Renzou's eyes. "So that's how it was." A strange smile crossed his lips then, though Rin took little notice of it. "It's still kinda hard to swallow the fact that your brother's an exorcist," he said with a slight laugh.

"I know, right?" Rin sighed. "I still remember when he was a crybaby. It's kinda weird seeing him kick ass like this." He propped his chin back on the chair again.

Renzou nodded in agreement before leaning back on his chair. He ran a hand through his hair, and when he looked at Rin, his usual sparkle was back in his eyes.

"So? What's she like then? She come to school here?"

Rin shook his head. "Don't think so. Her mom runs the medicine herb shop thingie for exorcists."

"Oh, that place! I've heard about it from my brothers." Renzou looked pleased at the news for a second, but then his expression fell. "It'll be a while 'til we get the key to that place though. It's supposedly out of bounds unless you've got one. Ya sure are lucky, Okumura-kun."

"Oh yeah." Rin frowned. He supposed that it was a bit of a problem. But he could borrow the key from Yukio or his father, right? "Well, I'll figure something out. Or maybe she'll come visit!" He grinned at the thought.

"And you should just call me Rin, yanno." Rin propped his cheek up on his hand. "You're best friends with my brother and Ryuuji so we're close enough, right?"

"Uh." Renzou looked taken aback by the offer. He didn't answer straight away. "Well, if ya don't mind." He shrugged. "Same goes for ya."

"Alright! It was Renzou, right?" Rin extended a fist towards the pink-haired teen. "Let's get along from now on!"

Rin's enthusiasm was clearly contagious. Renzou shared his smile and leaned forward to meet Rin's fist with his own. "Heh. Sure thing. Now, about that girl…"

* * *

 

Classes went by swiftly that day, with little work assigned to them since it was only the second day of school. Afterwards, Rin and Shima met up with the rest of their friends at cram school in their regular classroom. They all took their seats as they chatted with each other about their day, but it wasn't long before Shiro entered and they all fell silent.

"Good afternoon, class." Shiro leaned back against the teacher's desk. "We got a couple announcements today! One, we've got a new student joining us." He turned his head towards the door and gestured beckoningly with a welcoming smile.

Though hesitant, a blonde girl wearing a pink kimono walked into the room. Her movements were stiff as she walked up to the front to face the class.

"H-Hello!" the girl stammered, looking nervous. Her fingers were clutched tightly around her bag which she was holding up to her chest. Her eyes immediately sought out Rin, who was sitting at the front of the class next to Ryuuji. She was able to manage a slight smile upon meeting his eyes.

"My name is Moriyama Shiemi. N-Nice to meet you!" she said in a rush and quickly bowed.

"Shiemi!" Rin cried out in shock. But at the same time, he was rather pleased at this development. He nudged Ryuuji's elbow with his own and grinned, hoping that his friend would get the silent message.

"The girl from last night?" Ryuuji stared at their new classmate with curiosity.

"Yep!" Rin whispered back. He waved at the blonde girl, who smiled warmly in return as she ducked her head.

Shiro chuckled. "Alright, Moriyama-san. You can choose whatever seat you like but don't settle in just yet. We're having an outdoor class today!" he announced.

There was a rustle among the students as they all seemed pleased with the news.

"And we'll be joined by my aide," Shiro continued.

The door opened again and Rin's jaw nearly hit the table. "Yukio! You're a teacher, too!?"

Yukio stood beside Shiro and pushed up his glasses. "Just an aide, Okumura-kun. Please keep your voice down." He then smiled and addressed the rest of the class. "My name is Okumura Yukio. I'm only fifteen but I've been a registered exorcist for two years now. It's nice to meet you all."

The second arrival caused more surprise than any of the previous announcements. The class murmured back a greeting as they looked at Yukio in a mixture of curiosity and surprise. Shiemi, who had sat down on Rin's right side on the desk that was in front of the other girls, looked happy at the sight of their new aide. She waved shyly at Yukio from her seat.

Meanwhile, Ryuuji was staring at Yukio wide-eyed. He'd been caught off-guard just as much as Rin had. A quick glance behind him told him they weren't the only ones. Konekomaru met his gaze, looking just as puzzled. Shima, on the other hand, had his gaze glued to the front of the class. It was hard to read his expression.

"Alright, class. Let's all get up. You don't need to take all of your things. All you'll need is your book, a notebook, and something to write with." Shiro clapped his hands and the students began to pick up their things.

Rin was putting the sword back over his shoulder and taking out his textbook when he spared a glance up. He saw his brother looking at the seat behind him and it only took a quick look for Rin to follow his brother's line of sight. A pink head of hair was halfway ducked under the desk; Shima was rustling through his bag and seemed to be taking longer than was necessary to come up.

By the time Rin looked back towards his brother, Yukio was speaking to his father in hushed tones.

Shiro pulled a keychain out from his coat and held up a key for the class to see.

"We'll be using this to go to a special place for today's class," he said, pushing up his glasses. "I'm sure all of you already know about these keys, seeing as you use them to get here to the cram school. This particular key will lead us somewhere different. We'll be going through three at a time. The first group will go through with Okumura-sensei and I'll walk through with the last group. Everyone, pick up your things and line up by the door and we'll arrange you all into proper groups."

Following Shiro's orders, the class lined up by the door of the classroom. The girls took the front of the line, followed by Rin, Ryuuji, Konekomaru and Shima. Their remaining two classmates predictably lingered at the back of the line.

"Sensei, if I may ask, how come we're bein' separated into groups? Can't we all just walk through the door in one go?"

It was Ryuuji who voiced the question. Some of the other students glanced at Shiro, equally as curious to hear the answer.

The older man smiled. "Just a security issue," he said as he walked up to the door. "These keys only work for three people at a time. It's to prevent large groups of untrustworthy people from going wherever they please around the campus. If a fourth person goes in without resetting the door, they'll get transported somewhere else." Shiro smirked. "So three at a time, people."

Shiro slipped the key into the lock and turned it. The door predictably didn't open to the cram school hallway. Instead, what they saw was a forest clearing. The students were immediately hit with a wall of humidity.

"If you would follow me please." Yukio smiled to the two girls at the front and walked through the door with them. Shiro closed the door, pulled out the key, and reinserted it before opening it to the same scene.

"Go on, you three." Shiro tapped the shoulders of Shiemi, Rin, and Ryuuji and the three of them stepped forward before the door closed behind them. Rin turned around and saw the large grey door hinged on a door frame. But the door frame wasn't in a wall. The door merely stood on its own.

Rin trotted over to its side and watched as Shima, Konekomaru, and Yamada came out even though there was visibly nothing on the other side of the door.

He grabbed his head. "I don't understand this…!" Those keys were strange!

Ryuuji was staring at the doorway with equal confusion, but he soon shook his head. "Don't start overthinkin' this stuff too much. I have a feelin' this school's only goin' to get weirder an' weirder…"

"You said it, Bon. So where are we anyway?" Shima asked. He glanced around, peering around the clearing, and caught sight of Shiemi doing the same.

"You look like ya know. Moriyama-san, right?"

"H-Huh?"

Shima grinned as soon as he caught her eye. "Sorry, we haven't been introduced yet, have we? I'm Shima Renzou. That's Konekomaru and the big guy there is Suguro. Ya already know Rin, of course."

Shiemi was surprised he knew that but her head automatically bobbed in confirmation as her gaze darted towards Rin. She glanced back at the teen in front of her as he continued speaking.

"Anyway, you've had this glow about ya since we got here. It seems like you've been here before. Am I right?"

Shiemi's eyes widened as she felt everyone's gaze focus on her. She flushed warmly at the attention but nodded firmly. "Y-Yes! I've been here before. My shop gets a lot of their supplies from this forest."

"What, seriously?!" Rin trotted back over to towards them, but before he could ask any more questions, Shiro came through the door with the last student, the boy with the puppet.

"Okay, kids. Gather 'round." Shiro put the keys away into his pocket and shut the door. "Go on and sit down wherever. Open up to page 34 in your book."

The students found spots in the soft grass and the lecture began. Shiro told them of the plants that they could find in this forest, the kinds nearby that were used in regular medicine. Yukio assisted Shiro with the lecture, and the class listened attentively to it until something else caught their attention. Without warning, the ground beneath them began to shudder.

Rin's eyes widened and he tensed, grabbing the strap of the bag that held the Kurikara. Loud, thumping, quick footsteps shook the trees, and Yukio glanced at his father then who was already closing his book.

_'Shiro!'_

Rin heard the voice loud and clear as a large black figure broke through the bushes, but what landed on his father wasn't a large demon at all. A small cat gleefully perched on the man's shoulders, rubbing his face against Shiro's cheek affectionately and meowing with enthusiasm.

Shiro chuckled and scratched underneath the cat's chin which was purring loudly as its twin tails swayed behind.

"That's a…!" A few feet away, their purple-haired classmate sat up straighter.

"Aha, yes. This is my familiar. Kuro." Shiro scratched Kuro behind his ears. "Say hello to the kids, Kuro."

The black cat sith meowed at the class.

_'Hello!'_

"He's so cute!" Paku looked delighted. "Can we pet him, sensei?"

Shiro chuckled. "Sure. Kuro, do you mind?"

The cat sith meowed and hopped off Shiro's shoulder in response. However, before his paws hit the ground, the cat sith grew and became at least ten times bigger than before. The class leaned back in surprise. Rin, though, leaned forward.

"Whoa!" Rin stood up and hurried over to the large cat. "Nice to meet you, Kuro!" He grinned and scratched under his large chin. The purrs practically shook the ground.

"It's huge..."

Ryuuji stared slacked-jawed at the tall demon in front of them. He became immediately concerned when Rin approached it, but he relaxed as soon as he saw the cat sith begin to purr. After the last few days they had, Ryuuji couldn't help but to feel a little overprotective over Rin, even though he was aware his fears were unfounded.

After all, he wasn't unfamiliar with these kinds of demons. The Houjou family had a contract with nagas for years now, so he was used to the concept of familiars.

"Well, at least it's cuter than Mamushi-nee's snakes," Shima muttered, clearly following Ryuuji's trail of thought.

"Seriously," the taller teen agreed.

A few feet away, Paku was trying to convince her friend to approach the cat sith.

"C'mon, Izumo-chan! Don't you want to pet him too?"

"N-No! Why would I want to pet that big old brute?!" Izumo huffed but her cheeks were flushed red and she glanced several times at the large, purring cat.

"Not joining Rin?" Shima asked.

"Nah. Think I'm good," Ryuuji said, preferring to maintain his quiet vigilance over Rin. Konekomaru had already joined him at the front, and the two of them were petting Kuro who was thoroughly enjoying the attention.

"How about ya, Moriyama-san?"

"Huh?"

The blonde girl who was sitting near them glanced at them upon hearing her name. Shima smiled at her encouragingly which made her blush again. Shiemi looked longingly up at the group surrounding the cat but didn't move from her spot. "I'm okay!" she said, shaking her head vigorously.

Ryuuji paid close attention to how self-conscious she seemed. He recalled what Rin had told him on the phone last night and hazarded a guess on what might still be affecting her.

"Ya still shaken up 'bout yesterday?"

Shiemi's eyes widened at the question.

Shima landed a reprimanding jab into Ryuuji's side. The taller teen winced and was about to protest when Shima spoke over him.

"We heard about what happened from Rin," the pink-haired teen explained.

"Oh, you did?" Now that she understood their line of enquiry, Shiemi nodded. Her movements were still kind of hesitant. "Well, I guess I am a little nervous," she admitted with an embarrassed smile.

Ryuuji nodded in understanding. "I've had a couple of run-ins with demons myself lately. But you have nothin' to worry about. A lot of exorcists use demons as their familiars. Plus, Fujimoto-sensei's pretty strong. He'll take care of us if anythin' happens."

That did seem to reassure Shiemi a bit more. She looked more at ease now. "Yeah, you're right. Sensei is strong, and Yukio and Rin are here too!" She glanced up to look at the two brothers. A small smile blossomed across her lips.

Shima followed her gaze and noticed the way it lingered on Yukio. "Yeah," he murmured. "They're all pretty reliable, aren't they…"

Though he'd been nearly inaudible, there was something about Shima's tone that caught Ryuuji's attention. The pink-haired teen had that same expression he'd had back in the classroom. Ryuuji's brow furrowed. He opened his mouth, ready to comment on it, but Rin chose that moment to join them again.

"Ryuuji, come ON!" He grabbed Ryuuji's hand and pulled the taller boy to his feet. It was an easy task due to Rin's strength. "It's just a really big cat! He's all soft and fluffy!" Rin shouted as he towed his friend towards the large cat sith.

"W-Wait, stop!"

Ryuuji's protest went by unheard and he soon found himself in front of Kuro along with his other classmates.

He stared at the cat warily.

Rin was already petting the cat again, a happy grin on his face. Kuro was enjoying the attention far too much to notice the stiff teen in front of him.

"You really shouldn't worry too much. Kuro is very tame."

Ryuuji glanced beside him and was surprised to see Yukio. Now that he was up close, Ryuuji couldn't help but to notice that the younger twin looked like a completely different person wearing that exorcist uniform. Ryuuji felt tempted to glance behind him towards he'd left Shima, but instead, he found his gaze shifting back to the front, where Rin was still petting Kuro. He took Yukio's words to heart. It wasn't as if he was afraid of the large cat, but…

"...I ain't very good with animals," he confessed. His family had never owned any pets, not counting the Houjou's snakes, which had always secretly creeped out Ryuuji. He wasn't sure how to interact with them.

Still, Rin's mood was contagious, so it wasn't long until Ryuuji found himself joining his friends.

Rin grabbed Ryuuji's hand and put it on a spot behind Kuro's ear. "He likes it back here," he told him as he heard the cat's voice in his head.

 _'Yeah! Right there!'_  Kuro meowed and purred.

Ryuuji was surprised at how easily the cat leaned into his touch. A small grin crossed his lips.

"He's cute," he admitted.

"And he's real friendly with people," Konekomaru noted with a hint of longing in his voice. "I'd love to have a cat familiar too…"

After a few more minutes of this, Shiro finally began to usher everyone back to their seats. "Alright, you guys," he said, chuckling. "We've got to get back to class. We're gonna run out of time."

There was a collective sound of disappointment but Kuro obediently shrunk and hopped back up to his perch on Shiro's shoulder. Rin turned back to reclaim his seat, and when he looked back to the front, he caught his little brother looking back towards the group. It was much too fast however and soon Yukio rejoined their father at the front.

"Okay, your assignment for today is to identify ten different plants in this place," Shiro said as he idly petted Kuro's head. "I want their common name, their scientific name, and their uses in modern Pharmacology. All of that information can be found in your book. So get to it."

Shima immediately let out a petulant groan.

"Great, classwork."

Rin looked equally as unhappy about their assignment.

The sight of those two exaggeratedly miserable expressions made Ryuuji let out a groan of his own. As he had thought, having these two in the same class together was a bad idea.

"Look, the more ya complain about it, the longer it'll take. So c'mon," he said, tugging Rin up to his feet. Konekomaru waited for Shima to do the same. The pink-haired teen took his time gathering his stuff.

"U-Um!"

The boys glanced to the right and noticed Shiemi looking at them. She was clutching a notebook up to her chest.

"What's up, Shiemi?" Rin asked.

Rin's casual tone made Shiemi visibly relax. Still, there was a flush on her face that had yet to fade. "I… If you want… I can give you a hand," the blond girl offered.

Shima's attitude did a complete one-eighty.

"Really?" The pink-haired teen turned to Shiemi with a wide, grateful grin. "Aah, you really are as nice as you are beau-ack!"

Shima shot Ryuuji a sharp glare as he rubbed his side.

"That'd be really great," Konekomaru said with a kind smile, answering in his friend's stead.

"Thanks, Shiemi!" Rin's eyes shone brightly. "That's right, you should know all about this kinda stuff!" He clapped his hands together in a pleading gesture. "Please help us out!"

Shiemi looked relieved at their words. Her head bobbed happily. "Okay!"

And just like that, the class split into groups. The largest one consisted of Rin, Ryuuji, Shima, Konekomaru, and Shiemi. The other two girls, Paku and Izumo, both worked together, while their last two mysterious members of the class worked on their own.

They fell into a lull of conversation. The students ran about, finding plants and noting them down, shouting across clearings. Rin even climbed a tree in order to identify a certain kind of moss (although in the end he didn't know the name of it and since no one else could climb, they passed it over).

All in all, it was an exciting class. Towards the end, they all sat in the grass, writing down the last part of their assignment, looking through books and listening to Shiemi who'd already finished.

"I can't find this one!" Rin scratched his head, showing Ryuuji his notebook. "What's a borduck?"

"That's burdock," Ryuuji corrected quietly as he glanced over at Rin's notebook.

Shiemi answered at the same time.

"That's Arukuti-san!" she said.

Nobody blinked at the strange name Shiemi voiced. They had already grown used to her unique naming system. Instead, they listened quietly to her explanation on the properties of the plant. The blonde girl had gained confidence in herself throughout the class and now spoke without her earlier stutter.

Rin did his best to paraphrase Shiemi's words but it wasn't going so well. Class was surely almost over and a glance backwards revealed his father crouching down by Izumo and Paku, smiling as he spoke to them with Kuro on his shoulder. Hopefully he'd be distracted for a little while longer.

"How are you all doing?"

Unfortunately it seemed luck wasn't on his side.

Yukio smiled down at them, standing by Rin. "Ah, Shiemi-san, are you all done?"

"Ah, yes!" Shiemi glanced up at Yukio with a bright smile. She gathered her notebook from her lap with both hands. "Are you going check over it?"

"That's alright. We're going to check it all tomorrow since Kuro interrupted the class. You all can finish it for homework." Yukio lifted his hand in a calming motion. "But I'm glad you've adjusted well. Are you getting along with everyone?"

"Don't worry so much, Yukio! We're taking care of her!" Rin grinned at his younger brother.

Shiemi's cheeks pinked. She looked down at the ground, smiling gratefully. "Everyone's been really nice," she said.

"Moriyama-san has really been helping us out." Konekomaru said, cutting in. He spoke in a reassuring tone was more directed towards Shiemi than towards Yukio. "She's very knowledgeable about the plants around here. And she even managed to get Shima-san and Rin to focus," he added, as if that was something worth noting.

"Hey!" Shima and Rin protested.

Shiemi protested as well, looking a little flustered. "Ah, but I didn't really help that much!" she said. She shook her head and tried to wave the heat in his cheeks away. "There were a few plants that I didn't know about and I'm not that good at explaining things either. I'm not as good at doing that as you are, Yukio."

"Still, I'm glad to see you're getting along well with everyone and adjusting to the class. I had my worries but it seems they were baseless." Yukio smiled amiably.

There was a quiet snort in response to his words.

"As usual, ya worry too much. We're doin' just fine over here,  _sensei_ ,"Shima said.

Though his voice was light, there was something sharp about the way Shima addressed Yukio. It made the niggling discomfort Ryuuji had had earlier resurface at that moment. It also made him realize that this was the first time he'd seen Shima directly address Rin's brother since they'd arrived at school.

Surprised by the realization, Ryuuji frowned, and he wasn't the only one in the group who began to notice the tension between the two that was becoming palpably visible. Shiemi seemed confused by what was going on and while Konekomaru didn't look surprised, he looked equally as troubled as the rest of them felt.

Rin was also looking between those two and he eyed Ryuuji with purpose. They didn't have long to convey a silent message, though, as Yukio was already speaking.

"I see." Yukio smiled a little tighter. "Then I'll be going to check on the others." And with that, he turned, heading towards their other classmates.

As soon as he was out of earshot, Rin immediately turned to Shima. "What the hell is going on with you two?" he asked bluntly.

Shima didn't meet his gaze. "Nothing's up," he muttered, shrugging. The pink-haired teen looked uncomfortable at the attention. It was clear that he regretted making a fuss.

Ryuuji's frown deepened. "Shima—"

"Let it go, Bon." Shima shot them a strained smile. "Seriously, guys. We're fine."

It didn't sound convincing but luckily for Shima, it was at that moment that Shiro announced class was over. Shima quickly began to gather his things. Ryuuji was about to reach over to stop him, but Konekomaru stopped him first. The shorter boy gave Ryuuji a look, and once Shima had made his escape, he began to explain what was going on.

"They've been like that for a while now," he told them quietly. "I'm not sure for how long, but I didn't think to bring it up since it looked like things were getting better between them."

Rin watched as his brother spoke with his father who was opening the door with his key. For once, he was silent, thinking. They went through the door in the same groups as before. Shiro said goodbye to Kuro before going through the door himself. He dismissed the class, asked them to finish their work for homework, and waved them out.

Rin was unable to stay behind as they had their next class for the day, and after Anti-Demon Measures with Yunokawa was finished, Shima seemed back to his normal self. Though now that Rin knew something was wrong, he was loath to leave it alone. So he let Konekomaru and Shima walk on ahead as he gently tugged on Ryuuji's sleeve, slowing his pace so they could break from the group.

Of course, Ryuuji already knew what was on his mind.

"Worried about them?" he asked. Like Rin, his gaze was focused on the source of their concern.

Rin let out a small, troubled sigh and he broke his gaze from Shima's back. "There's gotta be somethin' we can do?" He looked at Ryuuji questioningly.

Ryuuji met his gaze with a slight frown. As much as he hated saying as much, he wasn't too sure they could do much to help the situation. "It ain't like we know why they're arguin' in the first place…" he said, shaking his head slightly.

Ryuuji tried to think of what could have possibly happened between those two; he'd been so focused on Rin lately that he hadn't really noticed what was going on with the rest of his friends. The realization made him feel guilty at once and he vowed to make up for it.

"Maybe ya oughta talk to your brother. I'll see if I can get Shima to open up too."

Rin nodded, letting his hand fall from the taller teen's sleeve. "I hope we can figure something out. I don't like seeing them fighting like this." He clenched his fists in determination. "Alright, this is our mission. We gotta do it!"

Ryuuji's feelings were as in tune with Rin's as ever. He nodded firmly.

"We'll figure somethin' out," he agreed.

With that resolution fresh in their minds, Rin and Ryuuji began their planning. As they headed down to the Okumura's dorm, they spoke of possibilities, of what could be going on and how to fix it. It wasn't hard to figure out what was wrong, or at least what part of the problem was, and by the time they reached the dorm, a plan was formed fresh in their minds.

After the two of them parted ways, Rin went up the stairs clutching his phone. Since Yukio wasn't back yet, Rin worked on his homework as he waited for his brother to arrive. He was dozing off over a textbook by the time he heard his younger brother and he immediately shot up and leaned out into the hallway.

"Psst! Yukio!" Rin whispered loudly and Yukio turned from where he was about to enter his bedroom.

"Nii-san? What is it?" Yukio walked over to him. The buttons on his coat were already half undone as if he was in the middle of removing it.

"Here." Rin held out a small scrap of paper. "It's Renzou's number."

Yukio blinked, staring at the small paper. "Nii-san, what—"

"Look! I know something's wrong!" Rin put his hands on his hips in a stern manner. "Nii-chan always knows! So when you have a fight with your friend, the best thing to do is to talk about it, right? So here!" He pushed the number into Yukio's hand. "Call him and ask him to hang out or something! Don't keep anymore secrets!"

Yukio looked at the number and looked at Rin. His eyes were wide and it reminded the older Okumura of their younger days… But then Yukio pushed up his glasses, nodded, and the look was gone.

"I suppose you're right for once. Thank you, Nii-san," he said quietly, pocketing the piece of paper.

"Heh!" Rin grinned. "Of course I'm right!"

By now Ryuuji would have given Shima the other half of this paper, the one that had Yukio's number. Things would surely be alright as long as these two talked it out. Rin knew his brother and he knew how determined he was.

If Yukio wanted to work it out with Shima, then there was no doubt in Rin's mind that he would.


	34. May 5, 2009

"Alright, here. Take it and keep it in your pocket." Shiro held the money out of Rin's reach as his son reached for it. "And  _don't_  spend it all in one place." He brought it down but before Rin could grab it, the reverend lifted it up again. "And  _don't_  lose it!"

"Okay! Okay! Gimme already! I know how to handle money!" Rin whined, bouncing on the balls of his feet to grab the money from his father's hand. Shiro grinned and brought it back down, handing it to him. He then turned to the other two boys standing at his side.

"Here, you two get some as well." Shiro took out a few more stacks of bills and held it out to Ryuuji and Konekomaru.

The two teens looked embarrassed about accepting the money.

"You don't need to—"

"That ain't necessary—"

"Ah, ah, ah! Shh!" Shiro put a finger over his own mouth to hush them. "Sensei's orders. Take the money. Go have fun. It's Children's Day and you guys aren't supposed to be using your own money, alright? It's indecent!" He tucked his wallet away. "And besides, I'm counting on you two to make sure Rin doesn't blow it all at one game, alright? So if you want, you can think of that as a tip for taking care of my son." He grinned.

"Hey! I'm not that bad with money!" Rin protested with a growl.

Ryuuji, who often witnessed of how much money Rin blew off on ice cream, let out a snort at the words. Still, he had an uncomfortable expression on his face as he accepted the money.

"Ya don't gotta reward me for lookin' after him," he muttered.

"Same here," Konekomaru agreed, looking just as reluctant. But knowing Shiro wasn't going to let up on this, the two teens pocketed the money quietly.

"Thank you," Konekomaru told him, pink-cheeked.

"No problem." Shiro grinned at them. "Well, I gotta go finance my other son who is most likely going to put up a bigger fight. You guys have fun," he said while pointing back towards where Yukio and Shima were speaking.

Rin smiled in their direction after his father walked off. "Looks like those two really are getting along again, huh?" He grinned at Ryuuji and Konekomaru. "That's a relief."

"Seriously." Ryuuji followed Shiro with his eyes. He watched as the older man repeated the same routine with Yukio, who was much less eager to accept Shiro's allowance than Rin had been. Beside the brunet, Shima was grinning in his usual relaxed manner. The tension that had been palpable between those two the previous month was completely gone.

"I'm glad they were able to work things out," Ryuuji said.

"They do seem to be doing better," Konekomaru noted. "Still, maybe we should try giving them some space today."

At the suggestion, Ryuuji shot the shorter teen a confused look.

"Why?"

Konekomaru pushed up his glasses and smiled lightly. "It hasn't been that long since they've made up, and they seem to get along best when they're alone together. This place is big, so maybe we should split up later. At least for a little bit," he suggested.

Rin grinned at the idea. "Yeah! We can sneak off and they can have buddy time." He put one hand on his waist and the other grabbed the strap of the sword sleeve hanging over his shoulder. "Besides, Yukio's probably gonna get all 'Nii-san, don't spend all your money! Nii-san, don't run too far ahead!'" He adopted a higher pitched and mocking tone.

Ryuuji placed a heavy hand on Rin's head. "All solid advice. Ya oughta keep it in mind so none of us hafta remind ya of it," he said with a slight smirk.

Rin huffed and pouted up at Ryuuji. "You're supposed t' be on my side, yanno!"

"I'm always on yer side. An' that's exactly why I plan to keep an eye on ya."

Ryuuji was in the middle of making a mess out of Rin's hair, who was protesting at the abuse, when Shima and Yukio finally walked over.

"So, what do ya wanna do first?" the pink-haired teen asked, sparing them a half-amused glance.

"Finally!" Rin pushed Ryuuji's hand off and began listing off their options in excitement. "Let's go to the rides! Or we can eat food! Or we can play games and win some stuff!"

"The games should wait until we're done with the rides, Nii-san. We wouldn't want to be carrying our prizes onto the rides and such," Yukio said as he stood at Shima's side.

"Ah! True!" Rin nodded. "Then we'll go to the rides first!"

Despite Ryuuji's protests, at Rin's insistence, they got into the carousel first. Konekomaru suggested they try the spinning teacups next, after which Ryuuji took charge and picked a more exciting ride: they boarded the swinging boat that, much like everything else in this place, was named after their Principal.

"Ahaha! That was really fun! The world is still rocking!" Rin laughed as he stumbled back and forth with a grin after they got off the ride.

"Nii-san, be careful not to fall over!" Yukio called out as he waited for Shima to give back his glasses. They'd fallen off during the ride and the pink-haired teen had taken it upon himself to clean them on his shirt.

Ryuuji shot Rin an amused look, and then glanced down at Konekomaru beside him. The shorter teen was slipping his glasses back on as well.

"Where to next?"

Konekomaru took out the map of the amusement park out of his pocket.

"Well, there's a Mirror House up ahead, but it's Shima-san's turn to decide."

"Alright! So, what else is around here?" the pink-haired teen asked, leaning in to look over the other's shoulder.

"Well, there's also the Drop to Hell…" Konekomaru began to read off the nearest rides he spotted on the map. Shima nodded along at the options but when he glanced at Yukio, he caught him staring at a nearby building.

"Ya wanna go there?" he asked.

Yukio glanced away from the direction of the Horror House in surprise. He pushed up his glasses, trying not to show that he'd gotten caught off guard by the question. "Well, yes but…" he said.

Rin's eyes lit up at the suggestion. He glanced at the Horror House and opened his mouth to agree to the plan when he caught Ryuuji's pointed look. He wrinkled his nose instead.

"Yeesh! That looks scary! Let's skip that one!" he said.

Thankfully, neither Yukio nor Shima noticed his exaggerated tone. Instead, Shima took the initiative and suggested they split up.

"Sounds good," Ryuuji said, cutting in before Rin could say anything else. "We won't wander off too far, so take your time."

"Ah, are you sure that's wise?" Yukio suddenly seemed a bit fidgety. "This place is rather large."

"Don't worry so much, Yukio." Rin grinned. "Go with Renzou and have fun already. We'll be around and we've got phones!"

Yukio adjusted his glasses and looked towards Shima. The pink-haired teen looked back at him expectantly. "...I suppose you're right. Still, don't go too far," he said, smiling.

The three of them watched them go with grins of their own.

"Well, that went easier than expected," Ryuuji said, relieved Yukio hadn't put up more of a fight. "So where do ya guys wanna go to next? We can check out the Horror House later," he added, remembering Rin looked excited to see it.

"The Mirror House?" Konekomaru suggested again, considering it was the closest.

Rin, at first, seemed excited by the prospect of the Mirror House as he had never been to such a place. But when he felt his tail wiggle excitedly under his shirt, it immediately stopped.

"Nah. That kinda stuff is for babies. Let's go for something better!" Rin grinned at Konekomaru. "If you wanna go with Ryuuji, though, I'll wait outside."

Ryuuji glanced at Rin in confusion, not having expected that response. Then, upon catching sight of the demonic features he'd grown used to over the past month, he understood.

"And let ya blow off all yer money while we're not lookin'? No way," he told him in a way that was more teasing than reprimanding.

"Huh?! What is it with you and my money?! I can manage it just fine!" Rin huffed loudly.

Ryuuji snorted and opened his mouth to refute that statement, but Konekomaru beat him too it, speaking them over them both in a patient tone.

"How about we take a break from the rides and get some food for now?"

The sentence had an immediate effect and Rin's eyes brightened. "Yeah! I wonder what kinda stuff there is! It all smells great!" He bounded immediately towards the long line of food stands.

Mepphy Land had more food stands than it had rides. There was a café, a fast food stand, and a variety of other establishments which sold everything from chocolate bananas to funnel cakes. Ryuuji followed after Rin to make sure he didn't spend all his money on everything he could see, even though the taller teen was tempted by all the variety himself. He'd only been to a fair once before, and it hadn't been nearly as outlandish as Mepphy Land was.

"I want the funnel cake and a candy apple and a chocolate banana and roast corn and fries and oh, look! There are burgers over there, too!" Rin shouted, getting ready to bound off towards his targets.

Ryuuji latched onto Rin's shoulder to prevent him from running off again.

"Pick three things," he told him. "For now," he added when he saw Rin was about to protest. "Ya can't carry all of that at the same time."

"Plus, we should save up so we can try out some of the games around here too," Konekomaru reminded him with a small smile.

Rin puffed out his cheeks in a childish pout but nodded. "Fine," he muttered. He went off to buy three things and, once he returned, he held out a candy apple for Konekomaru, a chocolate banana for Ryuuji, and he had already eaten about a quarter of the funnel cake in his other hand. "Here!" he said, powdered sugar covering his nose.

Konekomaru's eyes lit up as he accepted the apple. "Thanks!"

Ryuuji took the banana and stared at Rin with an exasperated expression. "Are ya even tastin' what yer eatin'?"

Rin's grin towards Konekomaru switched to a huff as he looked at Ryuuji. "Of course I am! It tastes great!" He was smiling again. "And I watched them make it too! Maybe I can find a good recipe and learn how to make them." He chomped again into the treat, the powdered sugar getting everywhere.

Ryuuji stared at Rin's nose, mouth, and the state of his clothes, but he decided this was a lost case and merely bit into his banana. "Better ya make 'em than ya buy 'em, I guess."

"What Bon means is that he'd probably like it better if you make them, Rin-kun," Konekomaru said in a teasing tone. Ryuuji flushed guiltily but he couldn't deny it.

Rin laughed. "Looks like ya hit the nail right on the head, Konekomaru!" Still, he was blushing himself. His cooking was always a soft spot for him and to see people enjoy it was always a source of pride. He suggested they keep walking around and by the time they wandered into the games, Rin was finished with his funnel cake and was dusting the sugar off his shirt.

"Aw, man, these all look so fun." Rin's eyes brightened in anticipation as he looked around. But his eyes locked onto a large stuffed cat hanging over one of the games. Rin quickly ran over to it.

"Test your strength! Step right up and test your strength!" The man standing before the tall contraption had a hammer leaning against his leg. "Ring the bell at the top and any prize is yours!"

"Konekomaru!" Rin looked at him. "Since you couldn't go into the Mirror House, I'm gonna get that for you!" He pointed up at the large stuffed cat. It had to be as large as Konekomaru himself.

Konekomaru's eyes followed Rin's finger. Upon catching sight of the stuffed cat, his expression lit up in delight. "Ah, it's so cute!" he blurted it out. As he looked back at Rin, however, there was a sheepish expression on his face.

"You don't really have to go through all that trouble though. I wasn't that interested in going to the Mirror House," he told him.

"Just accept it." Ryuuji put a firm hand on Konekomaru's shoulder. "He's gonna end up givin' it to ya either way," he said, grinning.

Konekomaru smiled up at them with a happy flush on his face.

"I guess you're right. Well, do your best, Rin-kun!"

Rin grinned brightly. "You got it!" He turned to the working man. "How much for a try?"

It wasn't long before the money was exchanged and Rin was taking the hammer.

"Be careful, the hammer is rather heavy. Do your best!" the man said, pocketing the money with a grin.

Rin took a deep breath and lifted the hammer with ease. However, when he brought it down on the target, the weigh didn't shoot up towards the bell at the top. Instead, the entire machine gave a shudder and a large crack as it was clearly not used to the force in which Rin used his strength. The back of the machine slowly tilted.

Rin winced as it practically broke in half and the machine tore down a couple racks on the way down.

_Ding!_

As it hit the ground, the bell rang. The silence around them was all the more punctuated.

"The… bell rang…?" Rin spoke timidly at the slack-jawed man. The man looked back and forth between the short awkward teen and his previously tall and proud contraption.

"Just…" The worker found his voice and rubbed his face. "Take your prize and go."

Rin gave back the hammer with several bows of apology and hurried back. He grabbed the cat, feeling bad but seeing no reason to stay and interrupt the man's mourning further.

"I… didn't mean to break it." He smiled sheepishly but with a hint of strain as he gave the stuffed animal to Konekomaru.

"That… could've happened to anyone." Ryuuji knew for a fact that he was lying through his teeth, but he wanted to make Rin feel better. He glanced worriedly back to broken machine. He was glad the owner hadn't made a big deal about what had happened, but there was no stopping the effect Rin's stunt had caused on the crowd around them. People were shooting all kinds off looks their way, from incredulous, to curious, to fearful.

"Yeah, maybe the machine was just too old," Konekomaru suggested, following Ryuuji's lead. Though he felt a little stunned himself, he mustered up a smile as he accepted the gift. He held up the stuffed animal up to his chest. "Um, thanks," he said, meaning it.

"So how about we check out some of the other rides?" Ryuuji spoke loudly. He narrowed his eyes at the people around them, shooting them a heated, silent warning. He didn't wait for an answer from either of his friends and instead he began to nudge them away from the scene.

"Here, Konekomaru, I'll carry that for ya," the tall teen offered as he noticed the other was struggling to walk.

"I'm fine—"

Konekomaru looked reluctant to part with his new toy. However, once his phone began to vibrate, he ended up handing it off to the taller teen so he could check his phone for the message he had received.

"It's Shima-san," he said.

"Already?"

Ryuuji's eyebrows furrowed. He wondered how much time had passed since they had split up. Had it been that long?

After exchange a couple more texts, Konekomaru slipped his phone back into his pocket.

"He says that we should meet up by the rollercoaster in thirty."

Rin was holding the cat's tail to prevent it from dragging on the ground. "Half an hour? We can all go on the coaster together. What should we do 'til then?" No sooner than he had brought up the question, his eyes lit up. "Oooh, let's go back to the Horror House!"

"Oh, yeah." Ryuuji propped the stuffed animal onto his back and held onto it by its front paws. He'd almost forgotten they had planned to do that. "They're probably long gone from there. Did Shima tell ya where they were now?"

Konekomaru shook his head. "No, but I'm sure we won't run into them."

They did not spot Shima or Yukio on their way to the Horror House, but they still cautiously looked around as they headed inside the building.

Rin kept a loose hold on the cat's tail as they walked through, but the Horror House was the least horrifying thing they had seen. From cheap cardboard cutouts to fake spiders hanging from the ceiling, Rin ended up quite disappointed by the time they reached the exit.

He jogged ahead and sighed as they exited the Horror House. The rumors that they had heard and they people they had seen leaving the place in tears had brought up Rin's expectations too high it seemed.

"Well that was boring." He put his hands behind his head and turned around. But Ryuuji and Konekomaru hadn't come out yet. Rin furrowed his brow. They had been right behind him. He wandered back and looked inside but the hallway they had exited was empty. "Ryuuji? Konekomaru?" he called and frowned. "This isn't funny! Come on!"

There was no answer. Rin walked back outside with a huff, but his jaw dropped almost immediately.

The entire park was empty.

"The hell...?" he whispered, listening to nothing but the wind and the discordant carrousel still running in the distance, void of any riders. What was going on?

"Ryuuji! Konekomaru!" he called out. "Yukio! Renzou!" There was no answer. Only his voice echoed back to him. Rin began breathing hard. The empty stands seemed looming and the rides creaked loudly as they moved with no people to control them. It was hard to breathe. He was alone. Absolutely alone.

And then he suddenly wasn't. The rides and buildings around them began to rot and rust. A soft chuckle erupted behind his ear made Rin jump forward and grip the sword in his sleeve.

The building behind him was falling apart in rotted chunks. The floor beneath him was wearing down, eroding and cracking. He saw a familiar flash of eyes, a glint of teeth and a blade.

**_"Shall we go, young prince?"_ **

Rin shut his eyes and screamed, digging his hand into his sword sleeve and closing his fingers around the handle of the sword.

But there was a hand gripping his wrist and his shoulder, shaking him.

"Rin!"

A pale-faced Ryuuji was standing in front of Rin. Beside him, Konekomaru looked equally as peaked, but he was putting on a brave face for the both of them, trying not to grimace.

"Hey," Ryuuji said roughly, looking down at Rin and holding onto him a little more tightly than usual. "It's over. That was all just… an illusion or somethin'."

Rin looked between them, his breath still rough and labored but he let go of his sword and instead jumped forward. He wrapped an arm around Ryuuji's neck and another around Konekomaru's shoulders. He was trembling but he hugged the two of them close, almost afraid to let go.

Ryuuji's hand slid up to the back of Rin's neck, and he hugged him back with the same fervor.

"You okay?" he murmured close to the other's ear.

Rin nodded quietly, holding tightly onto the two of them before he felt it was safe to let go. He let out a heavy exhale and rubbed his eyes where tears had begun to form to wipe them away before they fell.

"Are you guys okay?" He looked at them with concern.

Ryuuji grimaced at the question, but he nodded. Seeing Rin in front of him made him feel much better than he'd been moments ago, when he'd found himself completely isolated save for the familiar whispers he'd been hearing since childhood. It hadn't been the spiteful words that had shaken him, of course. The panic that had built up in his chest had been due to the unexpected absence of his friends. He didn't know for how long he'd been under that illusion but it had felt like forever. Ryuuji had ran around, shouting Rin and Konekomaru's names, feeling his heart clenching more and more by the second, feeling his stomach sink with dread as he was overcome with a feeling of helplessness. He wondered what the others had seen. He glanced down at Konekomaru, whom had been the first one he'd spotted when the illusion had disappeared. The shorter boy had been curling up on himself, with a hurt expression on his face, but Ryuuji hadn't had the time to check up on him properly as Rin had started screaming just then.

Konekomaru caught his concerned gaze, and though appreciative, he shrugged slightly in response to his silent query.

"I'm okay. More or less." Konekomaru's face was beginning to regain color. He smiled up at Rin, but he was rubbing one of his arms self-consciously. "That was pretty scary, huh?"

"Yeah." Rin nodded and rubbed the back of his neck. He gripped the strap on his shoulder and adjusted the sleeve. He looked at their surroundings and he found that they were in a large empty room. A large cartoonish sign reading  _"Congratulations on making it through the Horror House! _☆__ _"_  hung over the door that was seemingly their exit. The sight of the star made Rin's eyebrow twitch in irritation. At least none of it was real.

"Let's just get out of here before something else happens," Rin muttered, grabbing both of their hands and leading the way out of the Horror House. The loud bustling of the crowd outside was almost a welcome sound compared to the silence they had endured under the illusion. Rin breathed in the smells of the park gratefully.

"Hey, kids! Wait up!"

But they had barely walked more than a few steps when a woman's voice stopped them.

Ryuuji  tensed instinctively, still a little rattled from the ordeal they had been through. But his shoulders relaxed as soon as he spotted the familiar cat in that was in the woman's arms. She was one of the park attendants, going by her uniform.

"Glad I caught you. You guys left this behind," she said as soon as she was in front of them. She held out them the stuffed animal Rin had won earlier.

Konekomaru looked very relieved to see it. Ryuuji  instantly felt guilty for having carelessly left it behind.

"Thank you," the shorter boy told her gratefully as he hugged the large cat to his chest.

"It was no problem. We're, um, used to people leaving things behind." A smile that wasn't quite apologetic crossed the woman's lips.

"Ah, that was close." Rin smiled at Konekomaru and the large stuffed cat before turning to the woman. "Thanks!"

"No prob! Hope you guys enjoyed your stay!" she said impishly.

After their ordeal, the group decided to take it easy with more snacks and a couple games, ones that didn't involve strength. It didn't take long for them to put the illusion in the back of their mind and they were all able to enjoy the day again.

"Ah! Wait, what time is it?" Rin looked towards Konekomaru, holding a small stuffed white bunny underneath his arm, freshly won from a water gun game. "Has it been half an hour yet? We don't wanna keep someone like Yukio waiting too long."

Ryuuji checked his watch since Konekomaru's hands were currently full. It was ten minutes past the time they'd promised to meet up.

"Shit. We're late."

Thankfully, going by the lack of text messages, it seemed the others were running late too. Nevertheless, they decided to head over to the rollercoaster now. It was hard to walk through the crowds, which had only thickened out as the day had progressed, but Rin, Ryuuji, and Konekomaru made sure to stay near each other as they made their way to the meeting place.

"Huh. They still ain't here?"

The excited screams coming from the rollercoaster looming in front of them made Ryuuji raise his voice in order to be heard. As the tallest in the group, he did his best to spot Shima and Yukio through the crowds, but they were nowhere to be seen.

"Guess not…" Rin looked around, squinting through the crowd and jumping to see over the sea of heads. But there wasn't a pink lock to be seen. He sighed slightly, wondering if something was wrong or if they were merely held up. He took out his phone and searched through the contacts list. But before he could get to Yukio's number, a loud metallic screech filled the air.

The Ferris wheel off to their right had halted so suddenly, the carts were swinging. Around them, other rides were stopping, music was ceasing, and even the rollercoaster behind them coasted to a stop a bit beyond the station as the electronic brakes refused to trigger. Staff members were already bustling about, trying to figure out the source of the outage.

"Looks like the power went out…" Rin muttered, looking around as the crowd seemed to have halted in confusion as well. Staff members were helping people out of the cars of the rollercoaster as the car refused to move back into the station.

"Great." Ryuuji frowned as he watched the commotion. "Well, it's a good thing we weren't on that thing," he said with a small sigh.

"Yeah… I wonder what happened to the power." Konekomaru shifted his grip on his stuffed cat, looking a little concerned. "I'm surprised the backup generator hasn't kicked in."

"Maybe that broke down too. Can't see why it would've though." Ryuuji scanned through the crowds again, hoping he'd find Yukio and Shima this time. When he didn't, his frown deepened. "Maybe ya oughta call yer brother. He might be stuck in one of the rides."

"Ah, right. I'll do that." Rin turned back to his phone but he was once again interrupted. This time, before he could click on Yukio's number, a cold, shivering sort of feeling rushed down his spine and he felt the fur on his tail bristle uncomfortably. The hair on his arms stood on end… But it was when he heard a slight ringing in his ear and a tight and uncomfortable sensation rush across his skin, he realized it wasn't just a feeling. It sort of felt like when he was younger and he'd slide down the slide in the playground near his house. He'd touch Yukio or his father and there would be a quick jolt of static.

Electricity.

Rin turned around. The rollercoaster behind them was beginning to spark with power that it shouldn't have had. Suddenly, wide blue streaks arced from the chains on the railings to the control panels, the resulting explosion shoving people several feet backwards and onto the floor. The electricity continued to arc and grow as the people scattered, getting as far away from the rollercoaster as they could.

The jolts began to hit the cars still on the rails and the metal shuddered under the force of each strike until it bulged and blackened… And rose. The wheels broke apart. The pink cars with decorative eyes on the front began to move on its own accord. It was almost as if it was shoving itself off the railings and long crooked legs appeared under it. The metal split with a loud shriek. It was louder than the screams of the people running.

"A… demon…?!" Rin gasped, shoving himself in between the monster and his two friends.

"W-Why's there a demon here?!" Konekomaru fingers dug into the stuffed animal in his hands as he stared at the monstrosity before them wide-eyed.

Ryuuji was wondering the same thing. His heart thumped anxiously as he quickly processed the situation they were in. The sight of Rin standing in front of them made his teeth clench.

"That ain't important right now. We need to run!" Ryuuji snatched Rin's hand and pulled him back, away from demon. He tried not to think about the last time they found themselves in this situation.

"But what about the rest of the people here?!"

Ryuuji glanced down at Konekomaru, and then at the people around them. Most of them had been knocked unconscious, but there were a few still awake, groaning in pain and whimpering in fear. Ryuuji felt a deep sensation of helplessness rise within him, but he pushed it back, knowing he couldn't let it get to him.

"There's nothing we can do!" he said objectively. The hairs on the back of his neck rose as he realized the demon's eyes were completely focused on them. "We need to call for help. Rin, your dad!" As he said this, he tugged Rin back into motion. When Konekomaru hesitated again, Ryuuji barked out his name.

"Neko! C'mon!"

Rin stumbled back as Ryuuji continued to pull him along and he did his best to guide his shaking fingers over the keys on his phone. He picked out his father's phone number and pressed the phone to his ear. However, he was immediately given a busy tone.

"It's not going through!" He hung up and called again only to receive the same result.

It was at that moment that the floor shuddered as the demon stepped onto the ground, inciting several of the conscious people to run and clear the way. The ones who were too slow were batted aside. It opened its mouth and screamed at such a pitch that Rin clapped his hands over his ears, crying out in pain as the sound seemed to dig into his very brain.

He blinked, trying to clear his blurry and wavering vision and it cleared just a moment too late, when one jagged metal leg shot towards Konekomaru.

"WATCH OUT!"

Konekomaru looked back and gasped. He tried to move away, fear and adrenaline running through his veins, but he only managed to stumble on his feet. He landed on the ground with a grunt, his shoulder and hip throbbing sharply, but he could barely feel it in his panic. Acting on instinct, he rolled away quickly. Electricity crackled through the air, so close to him that he could feel it dancing across his skin. The ground beneath them shook and splintered as the demon missed its intended mark.

Right there, on the spot Konekomaru had been moments ago, the stuffed animal Rin had given him had been charred black instead.

Ryuuji breathed hard. "Shit." His fingers dug into Rin's hand as he stared at Konekomaru's fearful face.

"HEY!" he barked loudly. "Ya lookin' for a fight?!" Ryuuji knew what he was doing was stupid, but he didn't know what else to do. Taking a step back, he locked eyes with Konekomaru and hoped he got his silent message.

_Run!_

At that moment, Ryuuji began to chant every verse he'd learned at cram school, knowing perfectly well the demon would target him for it. He ran on the opposite direction of Konekomaru, holding on to Rin tightly.

The demon screamed again, spooked by the chanting and gave chase.

"Ryuuji, what are you doing!?" Rin gripped his hand and looked back at the demon that was pursuing them rather quickly for a hunk of metal. "Stop! Stop!" He knew that Ryuuji couldn't possibly know the Fatal Verse for this demon, but he was chanting anything and everything and he was making himself a target. "Ryuuji, shut up!"

He felt the whoosh of wind and a sharp pain in his cheek before he saw the blood. A metal spike impaled itself through Ryuuji's shoulder and Rin could feel the approach of the electricity. He shoved himself into Ryuuji's back, pushing his friend off the spike and onto the floor. The electricity crackled above them threateningly.

"You IDIOT!" Rin shouted at him as he turned around to the demon currently flicking the blood from his leg. "Ryuuji…" He gripped the strap on his sword sleeve as he pressed a hand over the bleeding wound. "Come on, get up! We gotta run!"

Ryuuji let out a choked sound of pain. His chant had faltered along with his breath when he'd been impaled, and now, as he felt Rin's hand pressing against his wound, he found himself unable to form a thought. He listened to Rin's words, letting the familiar voice guide his actions. He got up to his feet, found his vision blurring as he was overwhelmed by the pain coming from his shoulder, but he willed himself to focus.

He saw the way Rin was holding onto his sword. Panic seized him.

"Rin, ya  _can't_ ," he rasped.

"Worry about yourself! Just move!" Rin shot back, his own voice cracking. He shoved Ryuuji forward as the demon continued to follow them, splintering the concrete underneath its spikes. He gripped onto the sleeve, pulling open the buckle as the tip of the Kurikara's handle peeked out from red fabric. But there were too many people around.

Already exorcists were starting to pop up as the demon was suddenly attacked by a harpy that dove from the air. No sooner than the demon batted the harpy aside that a loud  _BLAM_  of a magnum erupted and the demon screeched as it staggered.

Rin pulled the sleeve back over his sword. Things were gonna be fine, right?

But the demon seemed intent in its target. It stabbed at the harpy, wounding it and smashing it out of the air. The woman tamer cried out in panic at her familiar's injuries. The man with the magnum shot again and again but a bolt of electricity caused the gun to explode in the exorcist's hand.

"Shit…!" Rin pushed Ryuuji forward as the demon resumed its chase. What was up with this thing?! Why was it after them?! He turned back and saw a metal spike lifting up and readying a strike.

Rin squared himself in front of Ryuuji and his hand reached into the red sleeve just as the metal shot down.

_Clang!_

The strike was deflected, but not by Rin’s sword. A man who had to be taller than Ryuuji stood in front of him. His hair was black, long, and wild. A pair of tails swiped the air behind him. His clothes were akin to that of a samurai and he had grabbed the incoming spike with his bare hand. With a twist of a wrist, the metal demon was flipped onto its back and the man turned around to flash Rin a wide, toothy grin. The two cat ears at his sides twitched.

"Rin! Don't worry, Shiro's on his way!" The man spoke in a familiar voice and the small half-demon was left blinking before it finally clicked into place.

"K-KURO?!" Rin shouted in shock.

The man—previously a cat sith—nodded quickly. "That's me! Now go on. Run. Shiro will take care of this when he gets here! He's not far behind now." The demon was already pulling itself up onto its shaky limbs and turned to face them again. Kuro let out a loud roar unlike any human vocal chords could possibly produce.

Rin gaped before he was suddenly reminded of his friend and he turned to check on Ryuuji. "Come on. Dad's coming, we gotta go." He hauled the sword back onto his shoulder and grabbed his friend's good arm.

"Oh, thank god," Ryuuji muttered. A heady sense of relief washed over him. But when Rin began to pull him along, his vision began blurring again. The wound on his shoulder was bleeding profoundly. Ryuuji shook Rin's grip off, and shook his head as well a second after to wave off Rin's concerned look.

"Keep moving," he breathed as he pressed his hand up to his shoulder. He was determined to put as much distance as he could between them and the demon, but he didn't want to drag Rin down.

Rin blinked and looked at his friend before his teeth clenched together. He grabbed him by the front of his shirt and tugged him forward.

"Not without you." He growled with finality. Rin wrapped his arm firmly around Ryuuji's and continued leading them forward in their slow pace.

Ryuuji let out a grunt, but he trudged on ahead with Rin at his side.

"Wasn't… plannin' on leavin' ya, idiot."

"So then there's no reason to let go, idiot." Rin smirked.

Behind them, Kuro continued to fight off against the demon that had been pursuing them. The diminishing danger allowed Ryuuji to relax, but the strain he'd put his body through when they'd been trying to get away was costing him now that his adrenaline began to die off. He felt weak. Ryuuji leaned most of his weight on Rin, grateful for his assistance. He staggered forward and forced himself to keep going, gritting his teeth as he put more pressure on the wound. Pain jolted through him, causing his head to swim. The next thing he knew, he was on his knees, gasping.

"Ryuuji!" Rin wrapped his arm around his chest. "Come on..." He looked back towards the fight where Kuro seemed to be matching the electric demon blow for blow.

The demon suddenly screeched as it was knocked off balance by a small explosion to its side. It lumbered to catch its balance but a man jumped onto its head, boosted up by Kuro himself.

Shiro aimed a shotgun down at the head, aiming at point blank range. He pulled the trigger, causing the demon to scream and stagger.

"And, behold! There arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with waves! But he was asleep!" The structure underneath Shiro shuddered and shrieked in terror. Several metal spikes rose and shot down towards the exorcist. Shiro jumped back and the demon screamed as it pierced its own hull. Through this, Shiro didn't stumble with a single word.

"And his disciples came to him and awoke him!"

The demon wrenched its spikes out of itself and electricity began to arc on the metal as it charged. Still, Shiro persisted.

"Saying Lord! Save us! We perish!" he shouted and the demon shuddered again before howling. The electricity faulted and was released in a shockwave on the ground as the demon disintegrated under Shiro's feet. He hopped to the ground and put his shotgun over his shoulder, barking orders at the exorcists who remained.

Rin's breath was nearly stolen as he gripped Ryuuji's shirt. Suddenly he felt his friend fall limp against him and he gasped. "Ryuuji!" He shook him, panic gripping his throat. "Ryuuji! Wake up!"

Shiro heard the voice and rushed over. "We need to get him to a hospital." His voice was too calm as he pulled a large clump of gauze from his coat. He pressed it against the still bleeding wound in order to staunch the flow. Rin watched helplessly before he looked around.

"Wait! Where's Konekomaru?! We got separated!" Rin was loathe to let Ryuujo go but the panic of the possibilities that could have happened made him half-stand so he could see through the crowd.

Thankfully, the shorter boy wasn't hard to spot. He was running towards them.

"Bon! Rin-kun!"

Konekomaru felt overwhelmed with relief as he spotted their teacher, along with a handful of exorcists on the scene. He closed the distance between them as quickly as he could, thankful he'd been able to find them. He'd been trying to follow after them since they left him behind, guided by the sparks of lightning he could spot from the distance and driven by the panic Ryuuji's bold move had caused him.

 _Where's...?_ Konekomaru looked beyond Rin and spotted his childhood friend lying on the ground, unconscious. There was blood staining his clothes, and Shiro was tending to him with a serious expression as he called a couple of exorcists to help him.

Guilt hit him like a punch in the gut. Konekomaru stopped a few feet away from his friends, feeling paralyzed.

 _It's my fault_ , he thought, blood draining from his face as he watched the scene in front of him.

"K-Konekomaru..." Rin stared at him before Shiro grabbed the hand still latched onto Ryuuji's shirt.

"Rin. You need to let him go. Go be with Konekomaru-kun and I'll take care of Ryuuji-kun." Shiro spoke sternly and Rin could only nod. He let go and and watched as doctors approached to help his father keep Ryuuji alive.

Rin got up and hurried to the shorter boy, forcing a smile onto his face. "Konekomaru! It's okay, my dad's gonna help him! Ryuuji's gonna be okay." His voice trembled with his shoulders and his smile faltered until his expression became strained with fear. "I-It's okay...!" He tried to convince himself with his own words.

_"Geez, can't believe ya met another demon." Shima stared at Rin incredulously. "Ya seem to be a magnet for 'em. Remind me never to stay alone with ya."_

_It's my fault..._  Rin looked back towards Ryuuji as they lifted his unconscious form on a stretcher. He bit his lip hard and, for once, didn't pay attention to the way his sharp canines dug into his skin.

"What...?" Konekomaru's voice faltered. He wasn't sure if he really wanted to know what had happened. He could already imagine well enough how the scene had gone. The image of the charred remains of his stuffed animal surfaced in his mind. Konekomaru swallowed and kept his eyes on his friend to reassure himself Ryuuji was alive. That's when Rin's shaky voice registered in his mind.

"A-Are you okay?" Konekomaru finally spared Rin a glance. The bloodstains on the other's clothes and cheeks made him instantly concerned even though Rin didn't look like he was in any pain.

Rin turned to look at his shorter friend and released his lip from his teeth. "Sorry…" He looked towards Ryuuji again before finally settling his gaze on Konekomaru. "I'm fine. What about you, did you get hurt anywhere?"

Konekomaru's left side was still smarting, but he shook his head. "No, not really." The aching bruises that were surely forming beneath his clothes were nothing compared to Ryuuji's injuries. "I'm alright."

"That's a relief at least…" Rin said softly. He ran a hand through his hair as his father came jogging over.

"Are you two okay?" Shiro looked at them.

"Yeah, we're alright. How's Ryuuji?" Rin frowned.

"They stopped the bleeding and they're taking him to the hospital. He's going to be just fine." Shiro gave them a reassuring smile.

Konekomaru felt an incredible amount of relief seep through him at the words, but he was still worried. He couldn't get the image of Bon's bloodied shirt out of his mind.

"Can we see him?" Konekomaru looked up at their teacher with a pleading gaze.

"Yeah. You two oughta head to the hospital just in case and get looked over." Shiro nodded. "They'll be treating him but once they've got him stitched up and medicated, he'll probably be sleeping for a while. If there's no complications, they'll put him in a recovery room within an hour or two."

Rin put on a smile and turned to Konekomaru. "Alright, let's go, then. We'll wait for him together."

The shorter boy couldn't manage to match Rin's smile, but he nodded, feeling some of the color return to his face. "Yeah…" He turned to thank Shiro then, but as he did, the Ferris wheel that was behind the priest finally registered in his line of sight.

"Oh, that's right! Shima-san!" he blurted out.

"And Yukio!" Rin smacked his forehead.

"Don't worry, they're safe. They got stuck in the Ferris wheel when the power went out," Shiro told them. "I'll find them and catch them up on things. You two head the hospital already. Go get checked out before the doctors get too busy. Go on." He nudged the two boys forward before walking past them to speak to a couple more exorcists who had arrived on the scene.

Konekomaru was still glancing back at the Ferris wheel, frowning, but his worry over Ryuuji won out in the end. Alongside Rin, the two of them made their way over to the hospital.

 _He's gonna be okay…_ they both thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was revealed in an omake in the manga that Kuro has a human form, which he no longer has access to since becoming Rin's uncontracted familiar, so we decided to have fun with that and have him make an appearance.


	35. May 7, 2009

Ryuuji bit his lip and tried to keep still as Yukio tended to his wound. The younger twin had dropped by his dorm to deliver today's class notes, and also to check up on his injury. Ryuuji appreciated the effort the other was going through for him, but at that moment, he wanted nothing more than to continue resting. He knew it was ungrateful of him to feel this way, but he still felt tired despite having slept most of the day away.

It was probably the painkillers' fault. Ryuuji had been taking them as prescribed and they had been effective for the most part. Despite the slight twinges of pain the tall teen felt from time to time, he mostly felt numb. Of course, he still had to account for the incoming migraine that was beginning to form in the back of his head.

 _This is the worst…_ he thought, scowling. He was irritated at himself for having gotten injured this badly. Though the hospital had discharged him yesterday, Ryuuji knew he was in for a long period of recovery. He wasn't even allowed to go to school for the rest of this week. The fact irked him, even if he was well aware that he wouldn't be able to focus in the first place.

Ryuuji winced as Yukio tied the bandages tightly around his shoulder.

"Ah, was that too hard? Sorry, Ryuuji-kun," Yukio said from his place behind him. He ran his hands over the dressings to make sure it was all in place before helping his arm back into the sling.

Ryuuji gave the other a strained smile.

"It's alright." The tall teen swallowed back the discomfort he felt and carefully leaned back on the pillows that were propped up behind him. "Thanks," he told the other in a quiet voice. "Ya didn't hafta go through all that trouble."

"Nonsense." Yukio gathered his things into his bag and sat on the edge of the bed with a smile. "After all, you're Nii-san's best friend and Ren-kun's as well for that matter. It's no trouble at all. How is the medication treating you?"

If Ryuuji could have shrugged, he would have. Instead, a slight grimace crossed his lips. "I'm still a lil sore," he confessed, "but I'm alright. Medicine's been makin' me tired as hell though."

"Yes, the medication you're on is a tad strong." Yukio smiled sympathically. "But it's needed, at least for another week. I'm sure Nii-san has been helping you with things, though. Am I right?"

At the mention of Rin, Ryuuji's expression slowly smoothed out. "Yeah, he's been keepin' an eye on me," he said, looking down at his lap with a soft smile. He glanced back up at Yukio with a more relaxed expression. "He and Konekomaru have been hoverin' around me since I got back. Yer brother almost skipped class to stay here," he told him, looking amused and disapproving all at once. "Shima wanted to join in too, but thankfully Neko managed to drag them both to school this mornin'."

"I see." Yukio's expression softened. "That's good. God knows those two need all the help they can get."

"Heh, tell me about it."

Ryuuji's smile soon faded, however. His expression turned more serious as he met Yukio's eyes. "So have you heard more about what happened the other day? About how that demon managed to get in?"

"Ah, yes. It was just something faulty with the barriers placed around the school. Basic maintenance was neglected and it was already taken care of." Yukio pushed up his glasses and smiled. "It won't happen again so you shouldn't worry too much about that."

Ryuuji let out a sound of relief. "That's good," he muttered. "Don't think I could handle another encounter in this condition." He shot the sling his arm was resting on a disparaging look.

Yukio's smile faded. "Regarding your condition, I would like to speak to you about all this." He stood up and crossed his arms. "I'm sure you don't need me to tell you, but I'll do it anyway. By chanting to try and make yourself a target, you placed Nii-san and yourself in a very dangerous position. You almost died. An Aria is not supposed to take the front lines. An Aria is supposed to let others defend him. The way you acted was unorthodox and out of line. There were exorcists already heading to your position and, in fact, your little stunt lead the demon away from their formation." He frowned. "You cannot act upon a whim when you become an exorcist. There is a way things are done and you must follow them. If you don't, you place yourself and others in danger. Do you understand?"

Ryuuji winced slightly at Yukio's tone, but he knew he deserved the lecture. What he had done had been foolish, and he had known it. Still...

"I do. 'Course I do. But I saw no other choice back then," he said, grimacing. "I didn't know when help would arrive and we were in a tight spot. If I hadn't done that, then it'd be Konekomaru who'd be here instead of me. Or worse, Rin might've..." Ryuuji trailed off and hoped the look he shot Yukio was enough to finish that sentence. His jaw clenched as he remembered Rin reaching for his sword. If help hadn't arrived in time, Ryuuji knew the other would've risked exposure to save him, just like he had before, when he had first awakened his powers. Frustration rose inside him at his own weakness. How many times would he have to depend on other people to rescue him?

"I saw no other choice," Ryuuji repeated. "I can only be glad it was just me who got hurt."

"That's not good enough, Ryuuji-kun." Yukio's voice was stern and hard. "You are not a wall. You are not a Knight. The attack happened in True Cross Academy! How can you not think that there were exorcists nearby?" He shook his head. "You ended up putting Nii-san in more danger by throwing yourself in the middle than if you were to just let the exorcists do their job. With you injured, you backed Rin into a corner. If my father hadn't arrived in time, he would have revealed himself to save your life without a second thought."

Yukio furrowed his brow and glared. "If that happens, they will do away with Nii-san just like any other demon and they'll take pleasure in the fact that they killed the son of Satan."

Ryuuji's blood ran cold at Yukio's words. Just the thought of the Order finding out about Rin made him sick to his stomach. In the back of his mind, he'd known this would be the outcome if they did, but he hadn't wanted to think about it.

Now, Yukio was bringing his fears to the surface.

"Ya don't gotta tell me that. I know!" he snapped, overcome by his own self-loathing. They'd gotten lucky, and he knew it. But he wasn't going to rely on luck again. He couldn't risk it. He was going to do everything that was in his power to protect Rin.

He was sure Yukio felt the same. He knew it was why the other seemed so angry at him. Ryuuji couldn't begrudge him for that considering what had happened. But he had to make sure the other understood they were on the same page. That's why, despite the rising ache at his temples, he made sure to look firm as he met Yukio's eyes.

"I'm worried about him too, Yukio. So don't worry. This won't happen again. I ain't letting Rin die, not on my watch."

The younger Okumura stared at him for several seconds before he sighed. "You two really do deserve each other," he muttered under his breath as he adjusted his glasses. He grabbed his bag and placed it on his shoulder.

"Listen to me, Ryuuji-kun." Yukio frowned, although it was softer than before. "Whatever your intentions are, the fact stands that, in your current state, you are a chink in Nii-san's armor. If you continue being reckless, if you continue to act on instinct, you will fall and you'll bring Rin down with you. Please think about that." The young exorcist turned around and left the room, leaving no further space for argument.

Ryuuji watched Yukio go with a slight frown. He let out a sigh and let his head rest back on the wall behind him tiredly.

 _That went well_ , he thought as he closed his eyes. His head throbbed dully, but Ryuuji ignored it as best as he could as he thought on Yukio's parting words. The younger twin was right. He really had to be more careful. Otherwise...

Ryuuji thought of Rin's worried eyes as he stared at him lying on the hospital bed. He thought of the grim determination that had settled on the thin line of Rin's lips. Ryuuji felt troubled. Worse, he felt afraid. Yukio's words echoed strongly in his mind, filling him with urgency.

He had to get stronger. For Rin's sake. Ryuuji wasn't going to let himself be what caused his best friend's downfall.

"Ryuuji, we're back!"

Ryuuji's quiet thoughts were interrupted by a loud, yet familiar voice. Rin rushed into the room, followed by Konekomaru. He was carrying his bag and a wrapped lunchbox in his hand.

"Renzou was coming too but we ran into Yukio downstairs and those two ended up going off together," he explained, grinning. He plopped himself onto Ryuuji's bed, bouncing lightly as he held out the lunchbox. "Here's dinner! How're ya feeling?"

Ryuuji winced slightly at Rin's loud volume, but the lunchbox in his best friend's hand made up for his discomfort. "…I'm alright," he said, ignoring the look Konekomaru shot him as he set down his bag on his desk.

"I am!" Ryuuji insisted, scowling. He glanced down at the lunchbox in front of him, and reached for it one-handedly. "What'd ya make?" he asked Rin.

"Tonkatsu!" Rin's voice was a little softer this time and he pulled up his feet to sit cross-legged. He leaned forward to unwrap the box for him.

"Thanks." Ryuuji set the unopened box on his lap and picked up the chopsticks with his right hand. "So how was school today? Cram school, I mean. Is your dad doin' alright?"

Rin nodded and pulled his books out of his bag. "He's still limping a bit but he's better than yesterday." His tone was slightly more docile as he pulled his textbook into his lap.

Ryuuji frowned at the news. He wasn't surprised, but he still felt guilty over the fact that the man had gotten hurt. His earlier conversation with Yukio made him wonder if Fujimoto-sensei could have avoided getting hurt if Ryuuji had done things differently.

 _There's no point in regretting what had already happened,_  the teen reminded himself. He took an absentminded bite of his food and tried not to let his thoughts lower his mood.

"Did Yukio-kun bring you these?"

Konekomaru broke the silence as he set his books down on Ryuuji's desk. He pointed to the neat stack of papers that Yukio had dropped off.

"Ah, yeah." Ryuuji looked at the small pile that awaited his perusal. Even though there were only two more days of school left this week, his earlier irritation at his situation rose. "I hate missin' school," he muttered, scowling into his food.

"You're not missin' much!" Rin outright whined as he opened the textbook on his lap. He looked down at the words and sighed. "Though it's all harder to understand without you takin' notes next to me."

"Sorry to disappoint," Ryuuji said dryly before taking another bite. More than half of his lunchbox was empty already. "I'll be back come Monday, so hang in there in the meanwhile."

Rin blinked and turned his head to stare at his best friend. His eyebrows furrowed slightly. "You okay?" he murmured.

Ryuuji glanced up at Rin, startled by the question. The crease on his forehead deepened, and upon catching an equally concerned expression on Konekomaru's face, Ryuuji realized that the frown that had formed on his face with Yukio's visit had yet to fade away.

"Sorry. My mood's a little..." Ryuuji shrugged with the shoulder that he could move. The knot of frustration in his stomach tightened. "I just wanna heal already," he muttered, setting his chopsticks down on his unfinished dinner.

Rin frowned and looked down at his book with a somber expression. "Sorry."

"I didn't mean—" Ryuuji felt guilty for putting that expression on Rin's face. "Ya got nothin' to apologize about. This ain't your fault."

 _I'm the one who got myself in this situation,_ Ryuuji thought with frustration, unaware of the effect his words had on his two friends, who felt equally at fault for his injuries.

"Just… try and take it easy, Bon," Konekomaru eventually said, his voice quiet. "You'll be back on your feet before you know it. Don't get yourself down about this."

Ryuuji's mood refused to be that easily dissuaded, but he knew his friend was right. He let out a heavy sigh and gave the two a slight, apologetic smile. "Yeah, guess you're right…"

Rin looked at Ryuuji's shoulder and put on a smile. "Yeah and we'll be here 'til then." His voice was light. "So eat your food already! You gotta keep your strength up!"

Ryuuji looked down at his lunch box, and though he had lost most of his appetite, he found himself picking up his chopsticks again. "I know, I know. I will," he said.

A silence fell over the room that was both tense and uncomfortable but no one had the courage to break it. It was a long while before Rin gave up on homework and closed his book. It was impossible without Ryuuji to help him anyway.

But as he looked up, his mouth open to speak, Rin was met with a rare sight. Ryuuji's head was lolling forward and the chopsticks were slipping from his fingers.

"It must be the medication." Konekomaru's soft voice attracted Rin's attention. He nodded and the two of them helped ease Ryuuji under the covers and carefully placed his head on the pillow. The larger teen was slumbering deeply by the time Rin gathered the not-quite-empty lunchbox into his arms.

"I should get going." Rin smiled and bid goodbye to Konekomaru.

The walk home was long and lonely with nothing but his thoughts to accompany him, and they weren't exactly pleasant company. Memories of the moment Ryuuji was stabbed rattled around in his brain, giving him no respite. Even now, all he could see was the splatter of his friend's blood and the memory of ragged breath filled his ears. It had been like this since the second it had happened. Rin hadn't been able to stop thinking about it.

He arrived at his dorm much earlier than he had thought he would. As Rin closed the door behind him, it was suddenly grabbed and pried open again. Rin looked behind him and came face to face with none other than his father.

"Hey. I was calling you. Didn't hear me, did you?" Shiro walked in and ruffled his son's hair. Rin huffed and batted his hands away. "How's Ryuuji-kun doing?"

Rin sighed but he placed a smile onto his face. "It seems like he's doing better. He fell asleep because of his medication."

"I see." Shiro looked down at the young half demon and closed the door behind them both. "Well, come on. Let's go eat dinner. It doesn't seem like Yukio's home. He hasn't texted me."

"We ran into him on the way and he went off with Renzou." Rin followed his father down the hallway towards the cafeteria kitchen. His eyes darted down to his right leg which made brief contact with the floor as the man walked with a slight limp. Shiro chuckled, his smile growing softer.

"That's good. They'll probably have eaten dinner then." The priest rapped his knuckles on the counter in front of the window peeking into the kitchen. "Ukobach. Do you mind whipping something up for dinner?"

The small demon popped up and mewled happily in agreement before heading off to bustle around in the kitchen.

"And now you..." Shiro reached for his son and, before Rin could dodge out of the way, grabbed the back of his head and steered him towards one of the tables. "You're going to sit down and tell me what's on your mind."

"Ah! Leggo!" Rin flailed his arms at his father as he stumbled towards his seat and was pushed into it. "What the hell, you damn old man!" He growled.

"Mhmm, there we go. You're starting to act like your normal self." Shiro grinned. Rin flushed in response.

There was a long silence, punctuated only by the clinks of kitchenware from Ukobach's work. Rin stared at the surface of the table, the memories of Ryuuji's injury resurfacing once more. His father had noticed, that much was certain. Was he being that obvious?

Rin sighed. "I'm just worried about Ryuuji is all."

"Really?" Shiro leaned his arm on the table. "I mean, we're all worried about him. It was quite the ordeal you three went through and we're lucky it wasn't worse."

Rin winced. They had been lucky. But before the self-depreciating thoughts could bubble up too far, the young teen felt a heavy hand on his head. This one was softer than the one that had pushed him in his chair.

"This isn't your fault, Rin." Shiro spoke softly. "What happened wasn't because of you."

"You know who I am." Rin's eyebrows furrowed and he clenched his fists in his lap, not looking up or moving his head. "What if it was? What if it came for me?"

"It was just a coincidence—"

"But what if it wasn't!?"

Rin looked up now, his eyes wide and raw with the worry that had been festering in his chest for the past couple days. "What if… What if it happens again?" His voice trembled. He felt like a child now. Ryuuji might as well have been in Kyoto for there was so little he could have done at that moment to save his friend. Rin didn't want to feel that helplessness again. He didn't want Ryuuji to suffer because of him and his accursed blood.

Shiro looked at him and sighed. "Then what if it does?" The question caught Rin off guard. Shiro let his hand slide off his head and he moved it to his shoulder where his father gripped tightly to his son. "What if it  _is_  you that they're after? What will you do if they come for you again?"

Rin stared at his father, a light tremble running up his spine. "I… I have to get away from Ryuuji. To protect him."

"And do you think Ryuuji-kun will accept that?"

Rin realized it before Shiro had finished his question. "No."

"Then that isn't the right answer. What will you do if they come for you again?" Shiro's voice was strong and stern but as Rin looked into his eyes, he found that familiar support. The support that has always been there his whole life. The answer was simple. Obvious.

"I… I can't let them hurt my friends," Rin replied quietly.

"Then study. Train. Grow stronger so that you can fight them. But grow smart." Shiro's hand moved again. This time it rested on Rin's cheek in an affectionate touch, different from the stern tone speaking to him now. "You can do it, Rin. You can protect them. But you have to be intelligent about it."

Rin swallowed. He turned his head and pressed his forehead into his father's palm as he took a deep breath. His slumped back straightened and he placed his palms flat on the surface of the table. There was a surge of energy that strengthened him at that moment. To possibly know that there might be a day when he wouldn't need to fear for his friend's lives anymore… He wanted that. Rin wanted that desperately.

_"I know who you are, Okumura Rin. You're a dork with a good heart."_

Rin felt a second wind blow through his sails. That's right. He wasn't just the Son of Satan. He was going to be an exorcist. Just like his dad. With that strength, he'd make sure to protect those closest to him.

"I will." He nodded. "I'm going to do my best to learn how to fight better. And… And my friends won't have to suffer anymore."

Shiro smiled. "And neither will you."

Ukobach arrived with dinner and the mood, light with confidence, was easy and they ate their food in companionable silence. Shiro helped Rin with his homework afterwards and the young teen was able to rest easy that night.


	36. June 22, 2009

"Shiemi, you're going to be late!"

Shiemi looked up and spotted her mother at the back entrance of the shop. The blonde girl glanced up at the sun and realized her mother was right.

"Okay! I'll be in in a sec!" she said.

Once her mother was back inside, Shiemi glanced back down at the flowers she was watering. Her eyes softened and a small smile crossed her lips. "I'll be back later," she told them quietly.

The blonde girl hurried inside and got ready for school.

"Ah, that's right!" she said to herself as she slipped on her shoes. "They're announcing the results of the test today."

Since it was Monday, Shiemi had Demonology class with Fujimoto-sensei, followed by Magic Circles and Seals, which was taught by a tall dark-haired man with an eyepatch that went by the name of Neuhaus. Shiemi's favorite class was Anti-Demon Pharmacology, but they only had that class twice a week. She looked forward to it the most, not only because Yukio's familiar presence was around during them, but also because it was the class she felt most confident in. She was still trying to adjust to her life as a cram school student.

"Speaking of which, Shiemi, have you made any friends yet?"

Shiemi looked up at her mother's question, taken aback by the inquiry. "Ah, Y…Yeah." She offered her mother a slight smile and hoped it didn't look as strained as it felt. But once she left her house, Shiemi let her expression falter.

 _Friends…_ she thought longinly as she let out a heavy sigh.

It wasn't as if she wasn't getting along with her classmates. She was. Rin had been treating her kindly ever since they had met, and since she had started going to cram school, she gotten to know his friends too. They had all welcomed her warmly and tried their best to make her feel included.

And yet… There was an undeniable wall between them that Shiemi wasn't able to breach.

When she'd learned that they had all known each other for years now, the blonde girl had originally felt awed by the fact. But as time went by, a small bout of envy began to worm itself into her chest as she quietly watched them interact. Rin and Suguro-kun in particular had a very close relationship, though Shiemi hadn't fully realized the extent of it until the taller teen had gotten injured, drawing the entirety of Rin's attention back to him. She didn't begrudge them for that, of course. Nevertheless, she couldn't help but to feel somewhat out of place when she hung out with them.

It was lonely.

 _But I can't let that get me down!_ Shiemi thought, reminding herself that it was too early to call it quits. She wanted to change herself, to grow stronger. Giving up wasn't an option. With a determined nod, Shiemi wiped away the tears that had formed at the corner of her eyes, and slipped the key that led her to cram school into the lock before her. Once she closed the door behind her, she turned toward the hallway and spotted a pair of familiar figures.

_Kamiki-san… and Paku-san!_

It was the girls that sat behind her during class. They were walking towards the classroom, talking to each other with hushed voices. Shiemi hadn't gotten much of a chance to talk to them yet since they worked together during class most of the time. They, too, seemed close, and the probabily that they had known each other for as long as Rin and his friends had discouraged her, but…

 _I can do this,_ she thought resolutely. She didn't want to rely on Rin and Yukio forever, and this was the perfect chance for her to get to know other girls that were age too.  _I'll definitely become friends with them!_

 

* * *

 

A sharp whistle at the front of the class cut through the soft chatter as Shiro entered the classroom. "Alright, kids. We have stuff to talk about." The man placed his bag on top of the teacher's desk and pulled out a small pack of papers.

"In about a month, you guys will be breaking for summer vacation. In regular school, that is. You still are gonna have a lot of work to do for cram school. Now before you start moaning and groaning, don't worry. It won't be your usual workload." Shiro smirked towards a couple boys, both of which were already getting scolding looks by their two more serious companions. "But before all that, you guys have to prepare for your exwire exam. That's where these come in."

Shiro began walking around the class, placing a piece of paper in front of each of them as he spoke. "You'll all need to fill out these forms and give them to me by Monday. Monday evening, I'll be hosting a one week training camp at the dorm where my sons and I live during which I'll school you guys on everything you need to know."

Rin looked down at the paper in front of him. Most of it was standard stuff but there were several words he didn't know how to make sense of. Meister? Aria? Dragoon? Things like Knight and Doctor seemed simple but in the end, he didn't really know what they meant.

"If you want to talk amongst yourselves for a while, feel free to do so. Class will start in twenty minutes. We don't have much to do today." Shiro grinned as he placed a paper on Yamada's desk last.

Rin immediately turned to Ryuuji. "What's all this stuff mean?" He held up the form and pointed to it.

"You mean the Meisters?" Ryuuji asked as he saw the spot Rin was pointing at.

"Ya don't know about them?" Shima joined in their conversation. He leaned forward, resting his chin on one hand. "Your brother's a Doctor and a Dragoon, ya know. I'm surprised your dad hasn't told ya about this stuff already."

Rin looked bashful. "I guess we never got 'round to it…" He shook his head and turned his chair. "So just tell me what they mean already?! What's a Meister?"

"It's a title that is given to those that are skilled enough in any of the categories on this list. Having a Meister is a necessary qualification for being an exorcist. You need to have at least one before you can be a certified one," Konekomaru explained.

"Yep. Konekomaru and Shima are studyin' to be Arias, which means they plan to fight by reciting Holy Scriptures. I plan to do the same, but I also want to get a Dragoon Meister."

"Bon's tryin' to be an overachiever, like usual," Shima commented dryly.

Rin remembered that day back at the monastery when they were running from Astaroth and his demons. The Coal Tar. He remembered his father as well as Ryuuji chanting words. Was that what an Aria was? It seemed to make the most sense…

He looked up from the paper towards Ryuuji. "What's the Dragoon Meister?"

"Firearms." Ryuuji smirked, looking proud of his choice in Meister. He continued to explain the rest of the Meisters with that same haughty expression. "Knight's for close combat weapons, like your sword. You should probably sign up for that. Doctor's for healers, and Tamer's for summoning demons, like Kuro. Ya gotta have the affinity for doing that though."

"Most exorcists just have one or two Meisters, but as you go up in rank, it's recommended you learn more. You need to have all five of them to even be consired for the position Fujimoto-sensei has," Konekomaru said casually as he began circling his choice of Meister in the form in front of him.

Rin was already circling the Knight Meister when he paused and looked up at Konekomaru. "All five?!" He stared in shock before looking over towards where Shiro was standing behind the teacher's desk, looking through his bag. Rin quickly turned back to his friends. "Do all teachers hafta know all five?"

They all looked at Rin at the question.

"No." Ryuuji was the first to answer, brow furrowed. "I think most of them only have up to three, or less. Your dad's a special case though. He's the paladin."

"That's the highest position you can get as an exorcist," Konekomaru added helpfully, suspecting Rin didn't know what that was either.

Rin's eyes were wide and his mouth open. He knew his father was strong, but to be that important? He glanced back at his father once more before grinning proudly. As expected of his father, of course!

"That's so cool…!" He held the form tightly in excitement and looked back down at it. "Then I'll aim for that too! But I'll start by being a Knight. I can learn more as I go!"

Shima's eyebrows shot up at the declaration. "You're kiddin'!" he blurted out.

Ryuuji was nodding his head though. It was clear he had no doubt Rin would follow through with his words. "You should try out for Aria too!" he encouraged. "You're studyin' with us after all. Plus, you can handle it," he said. He stared at Rin expectantly.

"Seriously?" Rin looked up at his friend and seemed a bit dubious in the way he smiled. "I'm no good at all that reading and memorizing stuff."

"You can read just fine," Ryuuji protested. He didn't like it when Rin put himself down like this. "And ya still remember that sutra I taught you ages ago, don'tcha? That wasn't even Japanese, so if you can manage that, you can manage this," he declared, lifting his chin.

"Bon…" Konekomaru gave Ryuuji  a reprimanding look before offering Rin an understanding smile. "Don't feel pressured to join us if you don't want to, Rin-kun."

"Seriously. Let Bon do what he wants. You don't gotta work so hard if you don't wanna!" Shima said.

Rin smiled at his two other friends before returning his gaze to Ryuuji. There was a part of him that was glad for their support but another part of him wasn't really satisfied. "Look, if… If you really think I can, and seriously! Don't say it just 'cause you want to make me feel better." He pointed at him sternly. "You  _really_  think about it and you give me an honest answer. You think I can do both?"

Ryuuji didn't take long to answer.

"'Course I do," he said, matching Rin's serious gaze with his own. "I  _know_  ya can do both. Even if we weren't all studyin' together, I'm sure ya could handle it," he insisted. "Memorizin' easy to do once ya get the hang of it. And you can practice it anywhere at any time. I don't know what the classes for the Knight Meister will be like, but I think you'd be able to juggle both just fine. It's best to train your mind along with your body anyway," he added firmly. That was a belief Ryuuji strongly stood by.

"Hmm…" Rin looked at his friend thoughtfully. Ryuuji looked sure and there wasn't an ounce of uncertainty behind his gaze. So the half-demon smiled and nodded. "Okay. You gotta take responsibility for this, though. You gotta help me out." He looked down at the form and circled Aria as well. Rin grinned. "I guess it'll be easier to do since you guys are taking those classes too, right?" He looked at Shima and Konekomaru.

The two boys nodded. In the end, they weren't at all surprised by Rin's choice.

"So the four of us are gonna be stuck in class together again, huh?" Shima let out a long sigh and began to drum his fingers on the table. The paper in front of him lay untouched. "Ya think any of the girls wanna join us?"

"Shima-san…" Konekomaru let out a long sigh of his own.

"What? It's a legitimate question!" Shima protested. The pink-haired teen glanced over to the row of seats next to them, where Izumo and Paku were quietly talking to each other as they looked over the forms Shiro had handed out. In front of them, Shiemi was hunched over her desk, apparently doing the same.

Rin turned to look at Shiemi as well and blinked, remembering she was there too. "Hey, Shiemi!" He grinned amiably. "So what're you choosing for your Meister?"

The blonde girl jumped upon hearing her name being called so suddenly. Shiemi straightened up and glanced at Rin, and then at the expectant faces of those accompanying him. She felt her cheeks begin to heat up.

"Um… I'm not…" she began to say, but she stopped as her eyes darted to look at the girls sitting behind her. Paku noticed her gaze and smiled, but Izumo nudged her friend's side, prompting the brown-haired girl's attention back on her again.

Shiemi glanced back at Rin and shrugged slightly. Despite the smile on her lips, she looked very unsure.

Konekomaru quickly noticed her struggle.

"It's alright, Moriyama-san. You still have a whole week to decide," he reminded her with a kind smile.

"And if you're still unsure, you should join us! The more the merrier! Right, girls?" Shima chimed in loudly, addressing the two other girls sitting next to him.

"As if." Izumo didn't even bother to turn her head but the scowl was clear in her voice.

"Shima, quit being a bother," Ryuuji grumbled, giving Shima an exasperated glare, but the pink-haired teen was too busy sighing in disappointment to pay Ryuuji any mind.

Rin scratched his head and returned his attention to Shiemi. "Maybe you can talk to Yukio about it? I'm sure he knows a lot more about this kinda stuff and he can help you choose one, right?"

Shiemi was surprised by the suggestion, but she nodded at the words. A small smile began to form on her face, though she still looked somewhat troubled.

"That's a good idea. I'll think about it!" she promised.

Rin beamed, glad to be able to be of some assistance. It only took a few more moments before Shiro called the attention of the class and started the short lesson they had for that day. The rest of the class blew by rather smoothly. It was the second class, however, that seemed to be the most eventful. Both Izumo and Shiemi managed to summon a familiar, something no one else in the class seemed to be able to do.

"Nice goin', Moriyama-san!" Shima was the first one to compliment the young girl.

"Yeah! You sure are lucky… I wish I could summon one too." Konekomaru gave the slip of paper on his hand a longing look.

Shiemi blushed at the praise. She looked down at her new familiar and smiled happily. She couldn't help but to glance up at Izumo then. Catching the taller girl's eye gave her the courage to speak up.

"L-Look, Kamiki-san! I summoned one too!" Shiemi said as the Greenman spirit she had summoned climbed her hair. Her voice a mixture of nervousness and pride.

Izumo sniffed, her lip curling slightly in a small scowl. "Wow!" she replied in a scathing tone. "Good job! It's so tiny and cute!"

"C-Cute? Really?" Shiemi's face lit up at Izumo's words. "Thanks!"

The guys frowned at this exchange, but they didn't have the heart to tell Shiemi she was being mocked.

"It looks like we have plenty of Tamer candidates this year."

Neuhaus brought the class' attention back to him. He lectured them all on the precautions one should take when summoning a demon, emphasizing the importance behind having a confident, strong will, before finally dismissing the class.

"Well looks like you-" Rin turned to where his friend had been just a moment ago but found the blonde girl to be missing. "Shiemi?" He blinked a couple times and looked around the class. She wasn't there. He hurried out the classroom door and heard her unmistakable voice chasing down the only other girls in the class.

Rin remembered moments ago how Izumo had made fun of her. Why was Shiemi chasing her? But as he continued to watch the scene, the three girls talked and Shiemi ended up walking off with them. Had they made friends...?

"Moriyama-san's gone?"

Ryuuji stepped out of the classroom, with Shima and Konekomaru following behind. The rest of the boys soon spotted what Rin was staring at.

"Looks like they're gettin' along well," Shima commented as his eyes followed the girls in the distance. Beside him, Konekomaru frowned slightly.

"Hope so…" the shorter boy said as he too watched them. After a couple more second, Konekomaru let his gaze drop as he caught of the item Shiemi was holding in her hands. He turned to look at Ryuuji, and he was exasperated to notice that the bag that Rin had taken to carrying after Ryuuji had gotten injured was being loosely held in Ryuuji's right hand. Though the taller teen no longer had to wear bandages over his wound, he was still wearing his sling as per Fujimoto-sensei's instructions and he wasn't supposed to be carrying heavy things.

"Bon..." Konekomaru let out a groan as he reached over to take the bag away from him. "You're not supposed to be straining yourself!" he reminded the other in a tone that implied they'd had this conversation several times already.

Ryuuji's attention was immediately pulled away from the girls at the reminder. He scowled in displeasure, but he let his bag go without an argument, knowing it would be pointless to do otherwise.

"Yeah, alright," he grumbled. "C'mon, let's get going," he said, nudging Rin's side with his elbow. "We gotta lot of homework to work through today, and we might as well try an' start studyin' through some of the chants already."

"What?! Already?!" Rin whined, looking at his friend and seeming absolutely heartbroken. "C'mon, Ryuuji! Don't go too hard on me!"

What followed was the usual scoldings about taking studies seriously that, once again, Shima was somehow pulled into. No one tried to stop Ryuuji once he started. It was impossible anyway. But Rin's eyes wandered towards where he saw Shiemi leave with the girls and concern mixed with something foreboding didn't let him be happy for her. Rin sighed. Shiemi could take care of herself, right?


	37. June 29, 2009 (Afternoon)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're a little late, but here is this week's chapter! Hope you enjoy!

"Nii-san, are you almost done?" Yukio poked his head into the room.

"Just give me two more minutes!" Rin hissed from behind the pile of clothes in his arms. He was hanging them up one-handedly in the closet. He could hear Yukio's sigh.

"You know if you would just keep everything organized in the first place, you wouldn't have to rush around like this." Yukio crossed his arms. "They'll be here any minute now. You better finish fast or you won't be able to receive Ryuuji-kun and the others."

"I said I'll be done so I'll be done!" Rin threw a shirt at Yukio who wasn't able to block it in time due to his crossed arms. "Now either help me or go bother the old man!"

Yukio pulled the shirt off his face which seemed tense what with the way his eyebrow twitched. "You're lucky I'm helping you out."

"Yeah, alright." Rin huffed as Yukio picked up the rest of the clothes he had left on the unused bed over the months they'd resided here. But now, it all had to be cleared out. The rest of the cram school students were on their way and both Yukio and Rin would be sharing their rooms with their friends. The rest of the students were going to be paired off in the vacant rooms. While this was something that both the boys were excited about, it was clear that Rin had a lot of preparation to do before the room was inhabitable for two people.

But with Yukio's diligent help, the work was done much quicker and they were able to join their father at the front door in time for the arrival of the group of students ambling down the sidewalk.

"This is where we're staying? Looks like a dump…" Izumo huffed and passed off her bag to Shiemi before crossing her arms.

The blonde girl accepted the bag without complaint. This gesture caused Paku to frown and lean in to whisper quietly to her.

"Moriyama-san, you don't have to…" she began, but Shiemi waved her off with a smile.

"I don't mind!" she said with a happy expression. "I'm helping a friend!"

This sort of exchange wasn't new. The girls had been following this routine for the past week now: Izumo would order Shiemi around, the blonde girl would quickly comply with the requests, and Paku would continue to quietly grow uncomfortable with this situation. The boys, too, were beginning to get frustrated by this state of affairs, but they weren't sure how to interfere.

"It ain't a good idea to get in the middle of that," Shima had said when Rin first voiced his complaints. "Girls can be vicious, man. Just let them solve their own problems. Or wait for the teachers deal with it. I'm sure they won't let it go on like this forever."

Rin hadn't been happy with that answer but he still held back the scathing comments that bubbled up his throat. Even now, he could feel them as he stared at Shiemi's blissful smile while Izumo treated her as nothing more than a dog.

"Alright, alright. All of you come on in and we'll discuss where everyone's staying. After that, we'll all meet in the cafeteria for dinner and have a meeting on our schedules for this coming week." Shiro grinned and nudged open the door, ushering everyone inside. Just as they were all entering, Kuro appeared, bouncing up on the man's shoulder and purring a greeting. Shiro smiled and scratched under his chin as he closed the door.

"The first floor is coed. Everyone can mingle here. There's a common room, the cafeteria, and plenty of open rooms which is where most of our activities this week will take place." Shiro stood in front of the group as he spoke, gesturing down the hall respectively as he spoke about each area. "The boys will be sleeping on the second floor. It'll be two to a room. Suguro-kun will be rooming with Okumura-kun, Shima-kun with Okumura-sensei, Yamada-kun with Takara-kun, and Miwa-kun will have a room to himself. Are we all agreed?"

All the boys nodded in unison save for Ryuuji, who seemed unsatisfied by the rooming arrangements.

"Excuse me, sensei. Can't Konekomaru bunk with us? There's enough space in Rin's room for one more. I don't mind sleeping on a futon."

"Bon…" Konekomaru glanced up at Ryuuji in surprise. The taller teen was frowning. Although he felt touched by the suggestion, Konekomaru shook his head. "It's okay. You don't have to go that far," he protested quietly.

Shiro smiled softly and lifted one hand in front of him. "Sorry, Suguro-kun. I'm afraid it's two to a room."

Rin looked up at Ryuuji and smiled. "If you want to bunk with Konekomaru, I don't mind," he whispered earnestly but Shiro was already continuing, not giving time for more protest.

"The girls will be on the third floor. Kamiki-san and Paku-san will be together and Moriyama-san will have a room to herself." Shiro reached into his coat pocket. "Boys are strictly forbidden from going to the third floor at any point in time. Even if there are no girls there. To make sure of that, the third floor stairwell will have a guard."

Shiro unfolded a small piece of paper and bit the pad of his thumb. He smeared the blood that welled up over the magic circle on the page. After muttering a few soft words, the paper glowed and something soared out, perching on Shiro's vacant shoulder. The light faded and what sat there was another cat sith. However, this one had white fur and had patches of orange and brown. Her eyes were bright gold. She rubbed her head against Shiro's cheek.

_Hello, Shiro! Have you been well?_

Shiro smiled at the cat sith and nodded, giving her a scratch behind the ears. Kuro gave a soft sigh on his other shoulder.

"Kids, this is Tamiko. For this week, she'll be guarding the third floor."

Tamiko sat up straight and gave a cheerful meow. ' _Nice to meet you all! I hope we get along.'_

Kuro was flushing and smiling, his tails wagging as he propped his front paws on Shiro's head. ' _Hi, Tamiko!'_

The calico cat sith looked up and smiled happily at him. ' _Hello, Kuro. It's nice to see you again.'_

 _'Aaaah~'_  Kuro lowered himself and pushed his head against Shiro's temple. ' _She's so nice...!'_

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" Shiro asked with a laugh and Kuro sat up straight. With a reluctant, but urgent meow, Kuro hopped off Shiro's shoulder and Yukio pushed open the door for him, allowing him to leave.

"Alright. All of you go up. Tamiko will lead the girls to their rooms. I'll lead the boys. We'll pack all of our stuff away and in twenty minutes, dinner will be served!"

"Yes, sensei!"

This time, all of the students gave a collective sound of agreement before heading off as instructed. Of course, once the girls had disappeared onto the third floor, Shima couldn't help but to throw a longing look at the staircase leading up.

"Ah, that's a pity," he muttered. His comment went ignored by all but Yukio who gave him a pointed look and a smack on the shoulder.

Ryuuji was still frowning about their rooming situation, but he didn't protest again, quelled by Konekomaru's silent shake of his head. Once he made his way into Rin's room, however, it hit Ryuuji that this arrangement was for the best. Though Rin's tail was still hidden beneath his shirt, Ryuuji caught sight of the limb twitching slightly beneath the fabric. The movement was faint, but it made him understand Shiro's reasoning all more clearly now.

 _And if Konekomaru bunked with us, Moriyama-san would end up bunkin' with the girls too_ , he realized belatedly.

As usual, it seemed like Rin's dad had thought everything through. Ryuuji shouldn't have doubted his judgement.

Rin was waving to Konekomaru as Shiro led him down the hall to his room before he looked back in at Ryuuji. "Ukobach is cooking the dinner today. Sorry," he said with a laugh. "But I'll be cooking lunch for tomorrow!"

At the news, Ryuuji's attention immediately switched towards Rin.

"...I guess there's no time today, huh?"

For Ryuuji, who rarely went a day without eating Rin's food, this was a disappointment, but he wasn't going to complain about it.

"I had to clean my room before you got here," Rin confessed with a sheepish smile. "Let's get your stuff unpacked for now. Then we can go eat and have fun, right?" His smile grew wider.

"I should've known." Though he gave Rin a disapproving look, in the next moment he was shaking his head ruefully. "Alright, give me a hand then."

The two of them unpacked Ryuuji's clothes into Rin's spare closet. A couple of books were nearly piled up on the desk adjacent to the bed, and Ryuuji helped Rin straighten some of his own things out once they were done with Ryuuji's belongings.

Rin winced at his friend's scoldings but other than that, he was elated to have Ryuuji sleeping over. The tests and lectures that were planned for the week seemed like simple bumps in the road with his real goal being to spend time with Ryuuji. This week would definitely be fun.

It took some effort to get Ryuuji to stop organizing though and it was Yukio's knock on the door that finally allowed Rin to pull the older teen from the room and join the group downstairs. There was a large spread set out by Ukobach and all of them ate happily together over the lull of conversation. Rin tried to pull Shiemi into the talk they were currently having after Izumo ignored her efforts to interact, however, even this seemed to be difficult as she was determined to catch her new "friend's" attention. Izumo had responded with a request for soy sauce which Shiemi was more than happy to get up and retrieve it from the other side of the table before any of the boys could even offer to pass it down. Rin gripped the prayer beads around his wrist, trying to grasp a shred of patience.

After most of the food was gone and the dessert had been cut into, Shiro stood at the head of the table.

"Alright. The schedule for this week is a bit much, I'll admit. But we're all going to be in this together so I promise, it sounds worse than it is." Shiro smiled as the teens shifted to look at him. "In fact, you kids are lucky. We haven't had a chance to hold a training camp for this long do to lack of lodging. But this free dorm has provided us with all the time we need. Today, we're going to start off with a study hall. This is your chance, if you haven't done your homework, to get help from Okumura-sensei and me. You can also get help from your peers. If you've already done your homework, feel free to study anything you wish. You can even get help with regular school.

"We'll be doing study hall for two hours. After which, you'll receive an outline for the Exwire written exam. We'll be taking several practice exams this week to make sure you're all good and ready. Remember that the outline is just a guide and studying it by itself will not guarantee a passing mark. Review over class notes and do your best to retain as much as you can." Shiro put his hands on his waist and grinned. "Every evening will be the same. Dinner, two hour study hall, and either a practice test or a review for it. Afterwards, you're free to go to bed early or to mingle around but lights out for everyone is 11:30. Does everyone understand?"

Rin scratched the back of his head with a slightly twisted grimace but joined in with the collective affirmative.

"Two whole hours..." Shima groaned once Shiro stepped out of the room. "This is torture," he complained, slumping over the table.

"You didn't think this was going to be all fun and games, did you? This is supposed to be preparation for your exam," Yukio said as he gathered his plates on his tray. "I have to go take care of a few things but I'll be back. Don't be late for study hall."

"Okay, mom," Rin huffed.

Once the exwires were done picking up after themselves, the girls headed back to their rooms. Rin frowned as he saw Shiemi hurrying to catch up to Izumo and Paku but was distracted by Ryuuji, who plopped back down at the table.

"Well, we got an hour to kill. Whaddya wanna do?" the tall teen asked.

Rin's gaze lingered after the girls but he allowed himself to relax and smiled at Ryuuji. "Wanna help me cook the bento for tomorrow?"

Shima immediately stifled a snicker at the suggestion. "Ya sure that's a good idea?" He eyed Ryuuji narrowing gaze and matched the expression with a grin. "Last time Bon tried to make somethin', his mom kicked him outta the kitchen for a month. To this day, I've no idea what he was tryin' to make," he told Rin.

Ryuuji shot Shima a dirty look.

"That was an accident," the taller teen declared. "And I ain't a kid anymore. I can cook just fine."

"That so? Then why haven't ya tried cookin' since that day?" Shima shot back smugly.

Ryuuji's eyes narrowed at the challenge.

"Just 'cause I haven't cooked since then doesn't mean I can't. I can cook just fine and I'll prove it!"

A quiet snort followed this declaration, but it went unheard by Ryuuji, who got up to his feet and stalked off to the kitchen with his shoulders pulled back and chin raised.

"C'mon, Rin!"

The half-demon had wanted to ask more about the incident but he quickly had to chase his friend instead. "Ryuuji, wait." He grabbed his arm at the threshold of the kitchen and looked in. "Hey, Ukobach! This is my friend. He's gonna help me in the kitchen today. Is that alright?"

The small demon looked up from the sink where he was starting to wash dishes and pots and he smiled before giving a happy mewl. Rin smiled back.

"Thanks!" He looked at Ryuuji and patted his shoulder. "Can't just barge in," he said before grabbing his apron off the wall and pulling it over his head.

"Ah, sorry," Ryuuji said, sparing Ukobach a brief glance before looking back at Rin. The quiet apology must have come out louder than he had thought as a moment later, Shima was calling out loudly from the cafeteria.

"Did you mess up already?" the pink-haired teen yelled.

Ryuuji's eyebrow twitched, but he felt satisfied as he heard the other whining a moment later. Konekomaru must have scolded Shima in his stead.

"So. What're we makin'?"

Ryuuji eyed the bento boxes stacked on the counter with a set jaw before looking at Rin expectantly.

"Hmm..." Rin tied the back of his apron as he headed to the fridge. He looked inside, thinking for a moment. "Do you know how to make rice?" He looked back towards Ryuuji. The taller teen immediately scowled.

"'Course! Who doesn't know how to make rice?"

Ryuuji did indeed know how to make rice, theoretically that is. Putting it in practice ended up being more of a challenge, though he refused to admit it. In the end, the only reason he was able to help Rin prepare tomorrow's lunch was because Ukobach kept rushing over to fix his mistakes whenever he wasn't looking.

Rin appreciated Ukobach's help and, in the end, it had been fun to see Ryuuji try his best in the kitchen. Ukobach, though, seemed tired and exasperated by the time Rin stowed away the bento boxes in the fridge. He was crossing his arms as he stood on the counter, huffing at the muscled teen in his kitchen.

"What's his problem?" Ryuuji shot Ukobach a wary glance.

Rin sighed and pulled off his apron. "He says... you're not allowed to cook in the kitchen anymore," he translated grudgingly as Ukobach puffed up irritably.

"Huh? Why not?!"

Ryuuji's bristling pride almost caused them to be late for study hall. They were the last ones to arrive, and the knowing smirk Shima shot their way only worsened Ryuuji's mood. Not even studying helped to improve his demeanor and even Rin had little effect in trying to cheer him up.

But their efforts soon turned more towards their work as Shiro left Yukio in charge of proctoring their first practice exam. The young teacher's assistant assured them that it would be simple but the paper given to them in the second hour of the study hall wasn't simple at all.

Rin ran his hand through his hair, holding back the a groan of frustration and a small clatter to his left made him turn. His hair fell over his eyes as he retrieved the fallen hairclip that Ryuuji had given him when they had been studying for his entrance exam. He sighed and quickly put it back into place before facing the monster that was this practice test.

It was just a practice test, right? So he could just write whatever. But when he glanced over and saw Ryuuji so concentrated… It felt wrong to just give up. So Rin did his best, trying to remember the answers to each question and doing it to the best of his ability. By the time Yukio stood to pick up the papers, Rin was face first on the table's surface with a forming headache.

"It's finally over…!" Shima pushed his test forward, putting some distance between it and himself. "That was way too long, sensei!" he whined, glancing back at Yukio with a petulant grimace.

Konekomaru, who was sitting next to him, nodded in agreement. He picked up Shima's exam paper and began making a neat pile of the papers within his reach.

"At least we're finally done for today…" he said. He glanced between Rin's pose of defeat and Ryuuji's wrinkled brow. "We could all use some down time."

"As long as you all paid attention in class, you had a good chance in doing well," Yukio said as he took the stack from Konekomaru, lightly tapped Shima's head with it, and moved on to collect the papers from the girls, Yamada, and Takara.

"Hey!" Shima grumbled, covering his head one-handedly.

"Ugh. I can't look at words for the next five hours at least." Rin lifted his head slightly and grimaced. "I'm gonna go take a walk." He started pushing himself up to his feet.

Ryuuji glanced up at him as he did so. He looked tired too, but that expression was more welcome than his previous grumpy one. "I could use a drink," he noted aloud. He pressed his palm against the table and pushed himself up to his feet. "Ya headin' outside? I'll join ya partway," he offered.

"Alright." Rin walked out with Ryuuji and laced his fingers behind his head. "If that was the practice test, the real one's gonna suck…"

"There'll be a quiz tomorrow before school, so we'll be waking up at six!" Yukio called out, making sure his voice reached the two teens outside.

Rin let out a groan.

"Guess ya won't get the chance to sleep in tomorrow, huh?" Ryuuji looked faintly amused. He wasn't bothered by the news at all since he usually woke up earlier than that.

"Not like I'll get a chance to sleep in with you around anyway," Rin grumbled with a small huff.

"Sorry, princess." Ryuuji glanced down at Rin, smirking. "If ya wanna get yer beauty sleep, yer just gonna have to sleep earlier," he teased.

"Who're ya callin' a princess?!" Rin snapped and narrowed his eyes up at his friend. "We can't all be roosters that rise up at the crack o' dawn, yanno!"

"Yeah, yeah." Ryuuji showed no signs of being fazed by the rebuttal this time. He was still smirking as he threw an arm around Rin and mussed up his hair slightly, avoiding the clip that was holding up his bangs. "Don'tcha worry. This rooster will make sure yer up on time."

"Gah!" Rin gave a hearty huff and ducked his head. "Don't talk like wakin' me up early is a good thing!" He ended up whining as he reached up and pinched Ryuuji's cheek hard.

"Ouch! Hey!"

The two continued to bicker playfully as they made their way to the nearest vending machine. After they each got a drink, Ryuuji decided to accompany Rin to get some fresh air. But it was as they were walking down the corridor that they spotted Shiemi heading their way. The blonde girl was looking down at the floor, keeping her expression hidden, but the tension on her shoulders was clearly visible. They paused in their steps as Shiemi passed them by but Rin's eyes didn't leave her back.

"Ryuuji. I'm gonna go talk to her. I'll meet you later, alright?" He didn't look towards his friend and immediately began walking after the blonde. "Shiemi!"

Shiemi's body tensed and her footsteps halted as she heard Rin's voice. She didn't want to turn around. She didn't want anyone to look at the miserable expression that was on her face. It took her a second to compose herself.

"Rin."

By the time Shiemi turned around, Rin had already caught up to her. The blonde girl noticed Ryuuji standing a few feet away, looking their way, but the moment their eyes met, the taller teen looked off to the side and continued to walk away. Shiemi's eyes focused back on Rin. She tried her best to put on a smile.

"Did you need something?"

"Listen..." Rin sighed and shook his head. "Shiemi, you gotta get away from those girls. They're only taking advantage of you."

"H-Huh?"

Shiemi's eyes widened. She hadn't expected Rin to say that of all things.

"What are you talking about...?" she said quietly.

"I mean they're not your friends." Rin put his hands on his waist. "Bushy brows is treating you like dirt, you know. Stop letting her!"

Shiemi's shoulders tensed. "You're wrong…" Though her voice was small, it slowly gained strength as her she forced herself to meet Rin's eyes. "That's not true...! I'm just helping her!" she said, shaking her head from side to side as if the motion would help her dismiss Rin's words.

"She's pushing you around!" Rin insisted. Why didn't she want to understand? Perhaps it hadn't been wise to send Ryuuji away. He could have probably been better about this... Rin banished the thought immediately. Shiemi was there in front of him. He would be the one to help her. "You're not helping her," he continued in a more even tone. "Do you really think that's what you're doing? You're acting like her servant!"

"How is it any different from what you do?" Shiemi finally shouted. Her outburst echoed down the long corridor and effectively shut Rin up. She continued on, trying not to focus on her hurts, her doubts, her frustration. The truth that rang in Rin's words clashed with what she wanted so desperately to believe.

"When Suguro-kun was hurt, and even now... Aren't you always doing things for him? Don't you want to help him when you can? You're trying to make him happy, aren't you?!"

Shiemi's fingers curled at her sides, pressing into her palms.

"Kamiki-san is... I know we're not close yet but I was just trying to..."

 _I was just trying to have what you and Yukio have too,_ she thought, feeling envious and guilty for it.

"That's not the same at all!" Rin grabbed her shoulders. "Ryuuji needed my help! And besides, he helps me too. Ryuuji is always there for me. He supports me and makes me feel better. He helps me with my homework and studying. He looks out for me! What has she done for you?!" His fingers tightened on her. "What you're doing isn't friendship!"

"Then what else should I do?!" Shiemi's eyes began to well up with tears. She took a step back, pushing against Rin's chest as she forced herself to swallow back her tears. "You're strong and always had friends, so you can't understand what I'm feeling!"

It was with those words that Shiemi broke free. Unable to face Rin anymore, she turned around and ran down the corridor, away from Rin.

Rin's eyes widened, his composure faltering.  _No… You're wrong… I know what it's like to feel alone…_  Rin clenched his fists and ran after her but the moment he caught hold of her wrist, a sharp scream came from down the hallway. Rin whirled around. His instincts screamed danger and he gripped the strap of his sword sleeve.

"Shiemi, go find help!" Rin snapped, their previous argument forgotten, before he ran down the hallway towards where he had heard the scream. He glanced around and just as he was about to hopelessly start kicking down doors, he felt a sinister presence from the bathroom.

When he shoved the door open, the scene that greeted him was something he didn't expect and yet it was one that caused dread to make his stomach sink.

A large, monstrous ghoul was hovering over Paku who seemed to be unconscious on the floor. Just a few feet away, Izumo, in her underwear, was on the floor and her foxes seemed to have turned on her.

"R-Rip the papers!" Rin immediately remembered what they'd been taught and Izumo struggled to follow the order. The papers ripped and the foxes disappeared moments before they could finish their attack. The ghoul in front of them, on the other hand, was still a problem.

"Rin!"

"S-Shiemi?!"

The blonde girl ran inside the room. She hadn't heeded Rin's words and had instead followed him here. The sight of Paku's unconscious figure shocked her, but she soon sprung into action, stepping forward without fear.

"Hold back the demon while I heal Paku-san!" she told him.

There was no time to tell her otherwise. But what could Rin do? With this many witnesses, he couldn't use his sword…

"Dammit!" Rin ran forward and used the covered sword as a blunt weapon, smashing the large ghoul with all his strength. "Come on, you disgusting monster! Over here!" He ran past it, opposite of the girls and stood ready to fight with his improvised weapon.

_'P...ri...n...ce…'_

Rin's breath caught in his throat. Did that thing just speak? It called him-

His guard was down long enough for the ghoul to get the jump on him. It grabbed his head and threw him into the bath area. He didn't even have a moment to breathe before the ghoul was on him, its long, decaying fingers gripping tightly to his throat.

Rin tried to cry out, but no breath came. He tried to pry the ghoul's grip from his neck, but it was too strong.

 _'For...give me…'_  The ghoul's voice was broken and disjointed. It filled Rin's mind like a suffocating smog.  _'This is… the bidding… of my… master…'_

 _Satan?!_  Rin gagged and he could feel his skin grow hot. Small tongues of blue flames began to lick at his skin before fizzling out, only to be replaced by more. They were almost pleading him.

Pleading him to use their power.

 _It's no use resisting…_  Rin began groping the floor, trying to find the handle of his sword. It was closer than he thought. It's like it wanted to be used. He had to. He couldn't beat this without it. His fingers curled around the handle and his thumb pushed to remove the sword from its scabbard.

"NII-SAN!"

Loud gunshots filled the room as the ghoul released Rin with a shriek of pain. It fled in an instant, rushing up the wall and out through a vent, wounded and screaming. Rin coughed and turned to his side, pulling his sword close to his chest and making sure it was closed.

"Yukio…" He looked up at his younger brother who was lowering his gun. "You're late!"

"Rin!"

Ryuuji, Shima, and Konekomaru ran inside the room behind Yukio. The boys took in the scene quickly, their eyes darting from Rin, to Shiemi, who was hovering over Paku's prone body. Ryuuji's gaze, on the other hand, remained solely on Rin. Now that the monster was gone, Yukio stepped forward to deal with Paku. Shiemi looked up at him and quickly began to explain what had happened, but Ryuuji heard none of it. He was closing the distance between him and Rin before he realized it.

"You okay?" he whispered quietly as he helped him get up to his feet. "What happened?"

"I'm fine…" Rin croaked quietly. The bruising was already fading from his neck but he was more preoccupied with stowing the Kurikara back into its red sleeve. "This… demon came in and attacked-" No sooner had the words left his mouth that he quickly stood up and hurried away from Ryuuji to check on the three girls he'd left behind.

Both Paku and Shiemi seemed to be okay as Yukio congratulated the latter on doing a job well done. Paku's wounds were covered in large green leaves and he whispered out a thank you to the kimono clad girl. Shiemi seemed almost beside herself and smiled with a flushed face. But Izumo…? Rin looked around and saw her foot from around the corner of the lockers. Had she gotten hurt too? Rin hurried over to her and the sight that greeted him was shocking to say the least.

Izumo was sobbing, her fists tight and her jaw clenched. "Don't… Don't look at me… I'm pathetic… I couldn't even save my only friend…" She choked on tears, her shoulders trembling. The words were so unlike Izumo. It was hard to reconcile this image with the frustration her attitude had caused him all week. Rin frowned and quickly did the only thing that came to mind. He pulled off his shirt and dropped it on top of Izumo.

"Then hurry up and put that on and get out of here," he said, frowning.

Izumo's eyes widened but she didn't look up at him. She instead moved to quickly follow Rin's orders and slipped the shirt on. In that very instant, Ryuuji showed up behind Rin. The taller teen pressed himself against Rin's back and gripped his shoulder, pulling him away from Izumo and closer to himself.

"Rin," he hissed urgently into his ear, glancing back to make sure no one else was watching them. " _Your tail!_ "

In that moment, Rin was very aware of the furry appendage now pinned between his back and Ryuuji's chest.

"... Oops."


	38. June 29, 2009 (Evening)

"Dammit, this is the most troublesome class I've ever had," Shiro grumbled under his breath as he entered the girls' bathroom.

The scene he was presented with was a unique one. A destroyed bath was the first thing he saw. The wooden frames were torn and bent and the floor was covered in broken glass. Yukio and Shima were taking care of most of the rubble. Meanwhile, Shiemi and Konekomaru were bent over an unconscious Paku who was covered in aloe leaves.

 _Good girl,_  Shiro thought to himself with a smirk. But now, where was his older son? Ah yes. There he was. Shirtless. A small glance to the side revealed that his shirt had gone to the last girl in the room. Izumo was looking uncharacteristically timid, wearing nothing but Rin's shirt and her underwear as she hid behind the lockers, covering her face.

Rin himself had a tall and bulky Ryuuji practically glued onto his back and a flash of black fur was all Shiro needed to see to take action.

"Psst."

The small sound caught Ryuuji's attention who immediately took notice of Shiro nodding towards the door. A flash of relief crossed the teen's face and he was soon ushering Rin out of the room with a quiet hiss as Shiro headed towards Paku to check that she'd been treated well, though from the door he could tell that all would be well.

Once the two teens were in the hallway, Ryuuji immediately snatched Rin's tail out of midair, intending to stuff it down the back of his pants and out of sight. However, the fur on the appendage bushed up instantly and Rin gave a shocked and high pitched squeak. He grabbed Ryuuji's wrist immediately.

"Let go, let go, let go!" Rin shivered. It felt strange and uncomfortable, having someone hold onto his tail like that.

Ryuuji quickly let go of Rin's tail and stared at the other, bewildered.

"What?" he protested, hissing quietly. He spared a glance at the room that was still too close to his liking before turning back to Rin.

"Just, hide it already!" he snapped at the other, more worried about being found out than about Rin's reaction.

"Okay!" Rin huffed, grabbed his tail tenderly, and pushed it down into his pants. "Just don't grab it so hard!"

Ryuuji's lips twisted into a grimace. "Sorry," he said, his tone a little less harsh this time. The tension in his shoulders seemed to ease now that the moment had passed, though going by the permanent crease on his forehead, he was still clearly bothered.

"C'mon, let's just go to your room," he muttered. But before they began to walk down the hallway, Ryuuji tugged his sweater vest over his head and held it out to Rin.

"Here."

Rin looked at the oversized garment and took it without protest. He could tell that Ryuuji was bothered and he knew why. It was a bit of a scare and a dumb move on his part to get rid of his shirt before taking care of his tail. But after what had happened, Rin wasn't really thinking straight. He sighed and slipped into the large sweater vest that hung loose around his torso. The two boys made their way to his room and once the door was closed, Rin was eager to let his tail out again. But he didn't just yet. Ryuuji was way too tense.

Not even counting the recent tail scare, the demon attack had been another close call. If it wasn't for Yukio showing up just in time, Rin would have been forced to draw his sword. He still remembered the demon's grip and its rattling and broken voice. He shivered and it wasn't because of his tail.

"Look, Ryuuji, it's okay now so…" he murmured softly, rubbing the back of his neck.

Ryuuji's eyes followed the movement as he absentmindedly locked the door behind him. He let his arm drop to his side as he continued to stare at Rin with a frown.

"Jeez, what were ya thinkin'?" Ryuuji let out a quiet sigh and shook his head slightly before finally letting the issue drop.

"Ya really okay?" he asked again, referring to the earlier attack. Everything had happened so quickly. How had that demon gotten inside?

"Yeah, 'm fine. Promise." Rin's tail wiggled out of his pants. It was always uncomfortable in his pants rather than under his shirt. It was just way too constricting. But even as his tail pulled itself free, it just tucked between his legs as Rin leaned his sword against his bed. His fingers didn't leave the strap just yet and he turned to look at his friend.

"Ryuuji," he murmured. "It... It knew who I was. The demon I mean!" Rin's voice rose to normal volume. "It called me a prince." Just saying the word made Rin's tail curl in discomfort. Similarly, Ryuuji's face blanched at the revelation.

"Shit," he muttered, not knowing what else to say aside from that. His mind was going a mile a second, and a nagging thought he'd been trying to ignore began to resurface.

"Ya think..." Ryuuji really didn't want to consider it, but this was the second time a demon had gotten through the school's barriers. And just like last time, Rin had been around when the demon had struck. "Ya think they're comin' after ya...?"

"It looks like it, doesn't it?" Rin sat on the edge of his bed, a frown firmly placed on his lips. He remembered the last few demon encounters and the only one he could recall where no one got injured was because Yukio and his father were the ones fighting off the demon in Shiemi's garden. His eyes flicked from Ryuuji's cheek to his right shoulder and finally settled on the floor. "People keep getting hurt 'cause of me," he murmured softly. The memory of Paku unconscious and covered in burns was a sight he didn't want in his mind any longer. But it was much too fresh to erase.

Rin's quiet voice made Ryuuji's fists tighten at his sides. Why was this happening? It wasn't fair... What if next time, the demons succeeded? What if next time, someone got seriously hurt?

What if next time... Rin was taken away?

"Ya need to tell your dad." Ryuuji found himself relying on the one thing he knew he could rely on. Rin's dad was strong. He didn't know what could be done to prevent this, but surely Rin's dad could think of something. If not...

Ryuuji didn't allow himself to follow that trail of thought any further.

Rin nodded. Of course that was the obvious choice. "Yeah. I'll tell him." He agreed automatically. It was just a month ago that they had last had that conversation, the one where they discussed the possibilities of those demons actually chasing him. Now that it seemed to be true, perhaps it was only right to talk to his dad again.

"I'll tell him in the morning. He's probably gonna be too busy right now." Rin rubbed his arm as he let the strap of his sword hang off his wrist. Paku was most likely being treated right now and Rin didn't want to leave the room to the questions that were most likely going to be asked. It was better if he just stayed out of the way for now.

"I guess you're right…" Ryuuji didn't want to put this off. He didn't think he'd be able to sleep with this worry hanging over their heads. But Rin was right—Shiro was probably too busy to deal with this conversation, and it was best if Rin kept a low profile too. Now that the dorm had been secured, the issue wasn't nearly as pressing.

Of course, while Ryuuji's mind knew this, his heart was still deeply troubled, and the tall teen's feelings clearly showed on his face despite his attempts to look calm and in control.

"S-So..." Rin put on a smile and grabbed onto his sword. "Let's just forget about this for now?" He hurried to his desk and pulled the Key of Vanishment from deep in one of the drawers. With practiced motions, Rin put the key into a lock on his dresser drawer, stowed away the sword, and locked it. The key was quickly returned to the drawer where he stuffed it underneath the clutter.

"Come on!" Rin grinned brighter and placed his hands on his hips. "Let's do something fun! This is like a week-long sleepover!"

Sometimes, it was still hard to swallow that this dork, his best friend, was the Son of Satan. Looking at him standing like that, with that beaming smile and those earnest eyes, made something inside Ryuuji relax despite himself.

"...Alright," he said with a small sigh. Though he still felt worried about their situation, as he watched the sweater vest he had lent Rin slip down his shoulder, Ryuuji finally cracked a smile. "Let's change clothes first though, okay? Ya look ridiculous," he said with a teasing chuckle.

"Haa?" Rin made the noise affrontedly with a pout that was too large to be serious. "No, I don't want to take it off." He gave a toothy grin. "It's mine now," he announced in a matter of factly tone as he crossed his arms over his chest. It was really quite the sight. Rin had one shoulder exposed and the rest of the thick warm fabric was hanging off of him like a tent. The differences in their figures had never been so apparent. Compared to Ryuuji's bulk, Rin seemed unusually lanky.

Ryuuji let out an exasperated noise. "Listen here, you..." The tall teen gave Rin a warning stare before he began crossing the room. "I ain't letting ya keep that, so give it back already!"

Rin's eyes sparked in excitement and he quickly turned to the bed. "No! I told you it's mine!" He laughed and stood on the mattress, his tail wagging behind him akin to a playful pup. He stood with his stance wide and his hands out, ready for a fight. But his smile remained brighter than the sun itself.

Unfortunately for him, Ryuuji wasn't blinded by it at all. The tall teen was very determined in his quest to get his clothes back. He eyed Rin's stance warily, but a smirk grew on his lips once he was standing in front of the other, with only a couple of steps of distance between them.

"Ya really gonna fight me on this?" Ryuuji asked with a raised eyebrow and a challenging smirk.

Rin let out a small snicker. "You an' me both know who's the stronger one here. 'Sides, I beat you last time." His tone dipped cockily and his grin turned devilish. He bent his knees, not letting his guard down in front of his friend.

"Heh. Don't underestimate me." Ryuuji matched Rin's tone as he too bent his knees. His gaze on Rin was steady as he inched forward. "I ain't losing a second time!" he declared, and it was with those words that he lunged forward—not towards Rin but towards the blanket underneath Rin's feet, which he pulled in one swift motion.

The half-demon yelped as his center of balance was completely demolished. He fell on his back on the mattress, shocked, dazed, and it took a moment to regain his bearings.

"Hey! That was cheating!" Rin propped himself up on his elbows and huffed at Ryuuji.

"Says who?" Ryuuji looked all too smug as he stared down at Rin, his hands still clutched around the blue blanket.

"Says me!" Rin puffed his cheeks childishly before hopping off the bed. He had a much more determined look and, with his feet firmly on the ground, and a confident spark in his eye, the shorter of the two lunged forward aiming to shove the blanket down so he could get a clear target of Ryuuji's chest. However, things didn't quite go as planned. The taller teen was clearly prepared for this because the moment Rin was within reach, he dodged and managed to wrap Rin around with the blanket he had been holding.

"Ha!" Ryuuji looked triumphant as he held the struggling teen still. He kept a firm hold on the blanket cocooned around Rin.

"L-Lemme go!" Rin wiggled in the tight wraps that we're keeping his arms pinned to his chest. "This is cheating!" he whined.

"It ain't cheating to use your head," Ryuuji shot back smugly, not giving Rin any leeway.

"It's cheating if it's cheating!" Rin protested.

"Either way, it's my win. So give it up, Rin!"

"And give you  _my_  sweater vest?" Rin smirked cheekily. "Not a chance!"

Ryuuji scowled. "I ain't letting ya keep it!" The tall teen narrowed his eyes and pulled Rin closer so he could trap him against his chest and free one of his hands. The next second, he was pressing his knuckles over Rin's head threateningly.

"Give it back, Rin. Or else," he warned.

Rin froze. "Ryuuji... I just wanna let ya know that if you do that, I'm gonna get my revenge!" He shot back. He gave a strong wiggle again, trying to loosen his friend's tight grip but the sheet around him didn't give him much leeway.

Ryuuji didn't budge either. "Ya can try." There was a smirk on his lips. "But first, I'm gettin' my sweater vest back. Now promise to give it back or I'm gonna start a fire on your skull."

"But Ryuuujiiiiiiii!" Rin whined and wiggled, trying to crane his head away from the fist braced against his scalp. "You're gonna leave me out in the cold?! You're so cruel!"

"You have other clothes!" Ryuuji let out an exasperated noise. "Alright, ya asked for it," he muttered. Then, in the next moment, he began following through with this threat and rubbed this knuckles fiercely into Rin's head.

"No no no no no!" Rin thrashed and kicked, struggling to pull loose from Ryuuji's hold. "Stop! Okay okay, I'll give it back!"

Ryuuji's knuckles pulled back the moment Rin gave up. "About time!" Trusting Rin to keep his word, Ryuuji stepped back, letting the blanket become loose and fall to the floor, and waited with his arms crossed over his chest.

Rin pouted and held on to the hem of the loose garment. "Can't I wear it for a little longer?" He looked at Ryuuji pleadingly.

"Why?" Ryuuji was baffled by Rin's insistence to wear it. "It doesn't even fit ya!"

"But it's warm and comfy!" Rin gathered up the neckline and pressed his face into the cloth. "And it smells good," came a muffled murmur from his hidden face.

"W-What?!" Ryuuji spluttered. That was the last thing he had expected Rin to say. His cheeks lit up within seconds and he didn't understand why. "D-Don't ya have one of your own?!" he protested, ignoring that last comment.

"Not big like this!" Rin continued with his whining tone. He peeked up from his hiding place in Ryuuji's sweater vest and spotted the flushed cheeks. "You're so red. Don't tell me you're all tired out already?" Rin have his friend a devilish grin.

Ryuuji met the look with a scowl. "I'm not!" The tall teen willed the flush on his face to receed and gave Rin a sharp glare. "Now are ya gonna take that off, or what?" he demanded.

"Fine, fine. Stingy." Rin huffed and muttered under his breath as he pulled the sweater vest off over his head.

Ryuuji took it back quickly and slung it over his shoulder. "Thank you," he said dryly before rolling his eyes. "Now go change already before ya catch a cold."

"I wouldn't get a cold if you just let me keep it..." Rin muttered, trudging over to his closet. He took out a shirt and pulled it over his head. He pouted initially before he suddenly turned around and sprinted at Ryuuji with little to no warning. Rin jumped and pounced on Ryuuji, latching onto his chest with his legs and tail while his hands ruffled the meticulously styled hair, messing it up completely.

"H-Hey!"

Ryuuji had been about to take his shirt off in order to change when Rin tackled him. The impact caused him to stumble forward but he managed to stay upright by holding on to the wall in front of him. "Tch. Rin, ya freakin' monkey!" He reached back blindly and smacked Rin's hands away from his hair. "Get off!" he complained.

Rin let out an impish giggle and dodged his hands, making sure that Ryuuji's hair was thoroughly disheveled. He then braced his hands on Ryuuji's shoulders so he could unwrap his legs from the broad torso and land on his feet, but that didn't go quite as planned. He did land on his feet but his body tipped backwards and he fell right on his butt.

"Haha, ow!" Rin laughed, putting his hand on his lower back but then snickering fully when he saw the state of Ryuuji's hair. It was a disaster, sticking up everywhere, the lines between the two colors blurred, and falling all over the teen's eyes.

Ryuuji, of course, didn't find this funny at all. When he swiveled around, his face was flushed and there was a scowl on his lips as he glared down at Rin through the gap of his messy bangs.

"What the hell was that for?" he complained.

Rin blinked and looked at Ryuuji all messed up and flushed but the scowl quickly registered in his mind. He grinned fearlessly. "That," he pointed at him as he jumped to his feet, "was my revenge!"

Ryuuji's eyebrow twitched, though the movement went unseen, covered as it was behind his bangs.

"Oh yeah?"

Though Ryuuji knew better than to rise to the bait, his scowl soon began to lift into a tight, vicious grin. The tall teen pushed his hair back and out of his face as he stared down at Rin. The challenging glint in his eyes was clearly visible now.

"If ya wanna keep it up, then fine. But I'm warnin' ya now, Rin. This time, I ain't lettin' ya go that easily!"

"Well, Ryuuji. You took my sweater vest so I don't have much else to lose!" Rin smirked with equal challenge in his gaze. "Bring it on."

"Tch. Will ya give it a rest with that already?!"

Ryuuji and Rin continued to fight over the sweater vest well into the night. The playful mood that had taken ahold of them was infectious and the two boys pushed aside their worries and let themselves relax like this for the next couple of hours until it was finally time to go to sleep. It was once they were finally lying in bed, however, that Ryuuji felt that sense of comfort begin to fade away.

Across the other side of the room, Rin was already sleeping heavily. Ryuuji was having a hard time doing the same. As he quietly listened to the noisy, rymthic sound of Rin's breath, he couldn't help but to envy the other for being able to do so with such ease. Ryuuji stared up blankly at the ceiling, observing the shadows that formed from the dim lighting coming from the window. Without realizing it, he found that his gaze eventually settled on Rin's sleeping form. It was irrational—a ridiculous desire born out of both worry and care—but at that moment, Ryuuji wished he could close the distance between them, almost as if by doing so, he could keep Rin safe.

Ryuuji didn't move from his spot though. He berated himself for his foolish thought and instead let his eyes drop and his muscles relax. But that continuous sense of unease that kept growing inside of him stayed with him even as sleep finally claimed him.


	39. June 30, 2009 (Past Midnight)

As Shiro had promised, all lights were turned off promptly at 11:30 PM. A few students stayed up a little longer with the light of small flashlights and cell phones but they were all sleeping by midnight. The dorm was quiet and it seemed as though it would be a calm, uneventful night.

In the darkness of the bedroom, Rin rose from his bed. His feet dragged across the floor and he reached out for the edge of the desk, grabbing on to it before his knees could knock into it. His fingers moved down the front, finding the drawer handle and he pulled it open. Slowly, sluggishly, he began emptying the drawer, letting its contents fall carelessly to the floor until he could reach the Key of Vanishment inside.

Rin turned and began his stumble towards his chest of drawers. His hands gripped onto them tightly and his fingers trembled as he tried to aim the key at the lock in the darkness. His breath was quickening almost urgently.

"N… Need…" The whisper came from Rin's lips though his eyes were still closed. "Need…"

On the other side of the room, Ryuuji stirred awake. It hadn't been long since he had dozed off, and the clamor Rin was making roused him before he could sink any deeper.

"Rin...?"

Ryuuji turned his head and spotted Rin's faint outline in the distance. What was he doing? He couldn't quite hear what he was mumbling.

Ryuuji raised his voice and tried to get his attention again.

"Rin."

There was no response to his call. Ryuuji felt the last strands of his sleep vanish. His eyebrows sunk in concern as he continued to stare at his best friend, trying to figure out what he was up to. Was he sleepwalking?

After pushing back his covers, Ryuuji got up to his feet. He slowly made his way across the room and his eyebrows rose as he finally caught sight of Rin's face. Despite his half-opened eyes, it was clear that he was still sleeping. There was no sort of consciousness guiding his actions. The other was mindlessly struggling to slip the key in his hand into the keyhole in front of him. The key that kept the Kurikara hidden and out of sight during the night.

Alarm bells began to ring in Ryuuji's mind. He reached over and wrapped his fingers around Rin's wrist, pulling it away from the drawer. He stared at his best friend's face with worry.

" _Rin._ " Ryuuji's tone was firmer now. "Hey, wake up!"

"No!" Rin gasped. "I need it…! I need it!" His voice was getting higher pitched as he slowly pried Ryuuji's fingers from his wrist.

 _Need it?_ Ryuuji did his best to maintain his grip on Rin. Dread sunk down to the pit of his stomach as he tried to wrap his head around Rin's words. What did that mean? Was Rin…?

Ryuuji thought back on the last time—the first time—Rin had used his sword. He hadn't been very conscious that time, but a part of him had felt that heat, had felt the fear that the blue flames had incited to the demon that had tried to possess him.

He pulled Rin's wrist, dragging him away from the drawers. "Open your eyes already!" he snapped, ignoring the anxious flutter in his chest.

Rin stumbled and nearly fell over with the rough but urgent treatment. When he found his balance again, he was blinking rapidly. Rin looked around, his breathing still quick and his instincts screaming.

"R... Ryuuji...?" His eyes found the teen though they were still a bit unfocused. Rin hissed and grabbed his forehead. "... Hurts..."

Ryuuji was relieved to see Rin coming to his senses, but his words troubled him. Just what was going on? His hand immediately rose and hovered worriedly over the other, but he didn't know what to do to help. His eyes darted to the empty bed a few feet away. He gently began to lead the disoriented Rin back to his bed.

"Here, sit," he said quietly, not letting go of the other's wrist yet. "Do ya... Do ya remember what you were doin'?"

Rin followed his lead and sat down. He shook his head. "Did somethin' happen...?" he murmured.

Ryuuji frowned. He glanced down at the key still clutched between Rin's fingers. "You were tryin' to get yer sword..." he told him as he carefully reached over to pry the key out of Rin's grip. But the moment he touched the key, Rin gripped Ryuuji's hand roughly.

"Don't," he growled, but quickly shook his head and released his hand in favor of holding his forehead again. "Stop... It hurts... Make it shut up..." he hissed, grabbing hold of his hair.

Ryuuji's heart stopped for a full second. The hairs on the back of his neck rose as he stared down at the spot Rin had roughly grabbed. The faint imprint of the other's hand lingered on his tingling skin.

What the hell was going on?

Ryuuji glanced back up and watched as Rin's expression continued to twist in pain. The sight concerned him but the vague implications behind his friend's words troubled him more. He swallowed anxiously. He needed to get Rin's dad. But he couldn't leave his best friend like this.

"Rin, c'mon. Get ahold of yourself," he whispered roughly. He shook the other's hand a little. "Leggo of the key, okay?"

Rin's knuckles were white with the force he was using to hold the key. He shook his head vigorously. A tight whine leaked from his throat as he fought whatever desperation made him cling to it. After a long few moments, Rin seemed to have won as his fingers slowly loosened until the key clattered to the floor. The sound echoed in the quiet room. It put a part of Ryuuji at ease, but it wasn't enough to quell the fear that had sparked inside of him.

"Are... Are ya back to normal now?" Ryuuji stared down, looking deep into Rin's eyes. They seemed a little brighter than usual. He felt somewhat drawn by the glowing blue orbs and it made his heart skip a beat. "Does yer head still hurt?" he asked, his voice still quiet, his tone wary.

Rin nodded, his brow furrowed, but his muscles were less tense and he let go of his hair in favor of holding onto Ryuuji's shirt. "Still… hear them. They're quiet but…" he whispered. Urgency gave way to exhaustion. His expression was almost ragged as he leaned his head forward into Ryuuji's chest.

Ryuuji automatically put a comforting hand on the back of the other's head. He let Rin rest on him as he tried to figure out what was happening.

Was Rin being possessed? Was the attack from earlier today somehow responsible for this? The fears he'd had just hours ago weighted down on Ryuuji once more, making him feel helpless. Without noticing, he found himself tightening his grip on Rin, pulling him closer, as if by doing so he could reassure himself that Rin wasn't going to be taken away from him or disappear.

It took him a few moments to recompose himself.

"...What do ya mean "they"?" he asked tentatively.

It was a while before Rin responded. "I don't know… I just… It's not really voices but it's… something else." He lifted his head slightly, glancing towards the dresser on the other side of the room before he forced his gaze to rest on Ryuuji's chest. "I… I think it's the flames." He shook his head. "It doesn't make sense, I know but… I don't know what's going on, Ryuuji. I feel like… I need it." He covered his face and his tail curled around him. "I can't stop thinking about them. And the sword. I can't get it out of my head…!"

"Shh, calm down." Rin's voice was getting louder. Ryuuji swallowed back his shock and let his hand slid down until it was firmly gripping onto the other's shoulder. "I gotcha, ya don't gotta say anymore." The taller teen pressed his lips together and forced himself to stay calm. "Try… try not to think about it. Clear yer head," he said.

"I can't… I can't…" The two words were repeated over and over like a mantra as Rin curled further in on himself. He lifted his knees and pressed his forehead against them while his tail wrapped tightly around his body. "I can't… I can't… I can't…"

"You can!" It was Ryuuji's voice that rose this time. He spoke over Rin's murmured chant and tried to call his attention. "C'mon, Rin. Look at me. Listen to my voice," he said urgently. Both of his hands were on Rin's shoulders now and he was crouching slightly in order to be at Rin's eye level. The smaller of the two gave a soft whimper, initially curling into a tighter ball before slowly looking up and meeting Ryuuji's eyes.

 _Good,_ Ryuuji thought, inwardly relieved that Rin was responding.

"Ya gotta clear yer head," he repeated softly. "Just relax, and… and repeat after me, okay?"

Ryuuji made sure to keep his gaze on Rin, never breaking eye contact. He took a short, quiet breath and began speak in a low, calm voice.

"Aryavalokitesvara bodhisattva gambhiram…"

The words that left his lips were familiar ones to Rin. It was the sutra that Ryuuji had taught him when they were younger. Rin slowly began to repeat after him, stumbling over the foreign words. But after a few lines, his memory kicked in and he began to recite it with him.

"...iha sh-shariputra sarva d-dharma sunyata..."

Ryuuji continued to chant quietly along with Rin. He kept a vigilant eye on him and felt inwardly relieved as he noticed the other was finally beginning to relax. The more he spoke, the more Rin's arms loosened their hold around his legs. Eventually, his feverish gaze dulled and little by little his eyelids began to close. It only took a couple more minutes before Ryuuji was able to slowly push him back into a resting position, leaving Rin to sleep off his exhaustion.

Ryuuji, on the other hand, was much too awake to go back to sleep. The taller teen continued to stare at Rin with a troubled frown. He felt deeply unsettled by what he had heard, what he had seen. A part of him didn't want to leave Rin's side for the rest of the night, but the helplessness he felt fueled his need to see Rin's dad.

After picking up the key that Rin had dropped on the floor, Ryuuji quietly turned to leave the room. As his hand closed around the doorknob, he hesitated.

In the next moment, he was exiting the room with the Kurikara in his hand. Though he knew Rin couldn't retrieve it without the key, Ryuuji didn't want to leave it in his vicinity for fear of another scene triggering in his absence. His footsteps were heavy as he walked down the dark corridor, and when he reached Shiro's room, it was with a shaky fist that he knocked on the door.

There was a silence that seemed to stretch a little too long before a steady set of footsteps approached the door and Ryuuji was faced with the elder priest. Shiro was still in his dress pants, shirt, and his tie was loose around his neck. There was no sleep in his eyes and the lamp on his desk was lit. The moment he laid eyes on Ryuuji, his eyes widened, then dulled with seriousness and a flash of something as he caught sight of the sword clutched in the teen's hands.

"Where's Rin?" he more demanded than asked as he held on to the doorframe.

"Sleepin'." Ryuuji's answer was prompt, his tone serious. The teen brought up the sword that hung at his side and he held it against his chest as he looked up at Shiro. "He's fine right now, but... something's happened," he told him, keeping his tone low.

Shiro frowned deeply and the wrinkles on his face seemed to increase. "Come in." He stepped aside to allow Ryuuji entry and closed the door behind him. When the man had turned, the teen's eyes focused for a moment on the handle of the revolver lodged in the back of the priest's pants. Shiro pulled the chair out of his desk, gestured to it, and crossed his arms. "Talk to me." It was a short, tight demand, but at the same time, there was an undeniable worry that blended in to his stern tone.

Ryuuji didn't hesitate to follow his orders. Once he took the offered seat, he tried to put the incident that had happened into words.

"Rin, he... He wasn't himself." Ryuuji faltered. He looked down the spot Rin had grasped onto earlier. Though he loathed to admit it, the firm grip had caused his stomach to curl in trepidation. Ryuuji's fingers tightened over the sword that was sitting on his lap. "When I woke up, he was tryin' to get this," he continued quietly, forcing himself to look up at Shiro as he did. "He said he "needed it." That somethin' inside him, his flames, was makin' him do it."

Shiro watched Ryuuji as he spoke but his gaze soon wandered to the window. He stared out at the night sky and lifted his thumb to his mouth where he chewed on the pad of his finger in thought. After a few moments, he pulled his thumb away from his lips to speak. "When you say he wasn't himself... What exactly do you mean?"

"He... I don't think he was lucid." Ryuuji shook his head. He didn't know how else to explain Rin's behavior. "He seemed desperate and confused. He wasn't thinkin' straight."

"Tch." Shiro scowled and muttered something under his breath. "Ryuuji-kun." He looked at him and squared his shoulders. Ryuuji quickly mirrored his pose as he straightened up in his chair. "I'm glad you came to me. I want to thank you for taking care of Rin thus far. But for right now, all we can do is take preventive measures. I want this matter to stay between us. If Rin wasn't lucid, there's a chance he might not remember this in the morning. If that's the case, do not tell him."

The order made Ryuuji's eyes widen. This time, he looked more hesitant to agree. "Why not...?" The teen frowned, unsure. "I mean, should we really be keepin' this from Rin?"

"Yes." Shiro responded immediately. "If Rin knew what was happening to him at night... If he comes to fear these events, we'll be putting him through more suffering than good. He'll panic. If Rin loses his mental fortitude, it'll only be easier for those flames to take over." He frowned. "I'm sure you can understand why I don't want that to happen. Right now, we have to protect Rin from himself."

Protect Rin... The fierce desire to do that shone in Shiro's eyes. It allowed Ryuuji to swallow down his reluctance more easily. He nodded firmly.

"Right." His fingers tightened around the Kurikara then. "What about the sword?" Ryuuji voiced a question that had been bugging him for a while now. "Is it safe for Rin to be carryin' this around? Wouldn't it be best for it to be locked away for good?"

"No, we don't have to worry about Rin's waking hours. It's when he falls asleep that's the problem," Shiro said without any hesitation.

"But..."

"Besides," Shiro continued. "If we take the sword away from him completely, we'll be depriving him of the only weapon he has. I don't like the thought of my son being unarmed, no matter what the nature of the weapon is. And if we take it away now, he'll question it and it won't be long until he finds out why. That boy is smart."

"I know!" Ryuuji rose up to defend himself immediately. He hadn't meant to imply otherwise. He just couldn't wrap his head around his teacher's reasoning. "I know that, but..."

As a weapon, the Kurikara was meant to be used to protect its wielder, he knew that. But as a sacred relic of his temple, and as a source of temptation for Rin, Ryuuji felt it was best for it to be kept safe and out of sight.

What was the point of having a weapon that couldn't be used anyway?

The thought continued to bug him but Ryuuji didn't pursue this train of thought any further. He was sure Rin's dad had his reasons. He must have thought it all through already.

"But?" Shiro was looking at him expectantly.

"No, it's nothing." Ryuuji shook his head. "What should we do then? About the sword during the nights? I brought the Key of Vanishment with me," he said as he dug into his pocket for it. He held it out to Shiro who reached out to receive it. He looked at it thoughtfully before nodding.

"Here's what we'll do. For this week, at least." Shiro held out his hand for the sword. "We'll lock the sword away and after Rin falls asleep, I want you to come and deliver the key to me. In the morning before you wake him up, come retrieve it and put it back where Rin usually hides it." He took the sword to his dresser, unlocked it, placed the sword inside, and locked it once more. He then put the key around his neck and tucked it into his shirt. "I'll keep it safe at night."

"What happens if he wakes up and can't find it? He'd come lookin' for it, wouldn't he?" Ryuuji asked. He didn't like the idea of having Rin running around in that state.

"Just do your best to get him back in bed." Shiro sighed. "This isn't a permanent solution. If he comes looking for the key, we'll change tactics. If he remembers in the morning, I'll talk to him." He looked at Ryuuji with a softened expression but the wrinkles in his brow were still present. "Are you okay with that?"

The question took him by surprise, but after a second, Ryuuji nodded.

"Yes, sir."

"Good man." Shiro nodded. He crossed the room and clapped a firm hand on Ryuuji's shoulder. "Thank you. Thank you for everything that you've done for my son. I'm glad he has a friend like you," he said softly, smiling.

The words caused a flash of heat to crawl across Ryuuji's face. "I-I really ain't done much." Shiro's soft, understanding gaze was a little too much to handle. Ryuuji swallowed and looked down at his lap, feeling like he didn't deserve the praise. "Rin's my best friend. We look out for each other," he explained quietly. "I wanna protect him, but I never really know what to do, how to help…"

Ryuuji thought of all the times he'd tried and failed to be of any help. The truth that rang from Yukio's earlier words still stuck by him. The few times where he thought he knew what he was doing only ended up putting Rin in more danger. Even today he'd messed up by nearly bringing everyone's attention to Rin's tail. If Rin's dad hadn't shown up in time...

"It's frustrating." He found himself voicing his thoughts out loud. "I don't wanna keep messin' up."

"It's alright." Shiro crouched down slightly, his hand still resting heavily on Ryuuji's shoulder. He gave the teen a wide grin. "You're doing your best. And if you make mistakes, that's fine. So far, you've gone above and beyond what I expected from you. I have to say, when we first met, I underestimated you. I didn't think you were strong enough for what needed to be done. But Rin is still here because of your help." He gave his shoulder a squeeze. "Trust me. You're doing just fine."

"T-Thanks." The reassurance only caused Ryuuji's face to flush darker, but he accepted the words without protest this time. "I'll do my best to keep him safe," he said solemnly, wanting to give the man he'd come to admire the same type of reassurance he felt. "I won't let ya down," he promised.

"I know you won't." Shiro patted his shoulder and stood up with a small grunt. "Now go on and get back to sleep. Get some rest while you can. You have a quiz early in the morning."

Ryuuji had almost forgotten about that. A glance at the clock on the wall made him realize it was later than he had thought. There were only a few hours left before they had to wake up. "Oh, right," he said and hurried to get up to his feet.

The moment he did, his eyes darted towards the drawer Shiro had used to put away the Kurikara. Just knowing that it would be carefully guarded by his teacher made the weight he felt on his shoulders lessen. He walked out of the room with an easier step than he had come in with. The problem hadn't been solved, but coming to see Rin's dad had caused him to considerately settle down.

"Goodnight, sensei," he called out to him as he was leaving.

"Good night, Ryuuji-kun."

The walk back to his room was a silent one. Ryuuji's mind circled around as he thought of everything that had been said and that had happened. When he got back to his room, he was relieved to find Rin still sleeping. He closed the door behind him as quietly as he could, not wanting to disturb his best friend, before making his way back to his bed. Sleep didn't come easily this time either, but Ryuuji began to quietly chant the same sutra he'd recited to Rin earlier. The rhythmic words were soothing, the practice familiar.

That night, he fell asleep thinking of Rin's bright blue eyes and of the comfort he'd found in pulling his best friend close to him, safe under his touch.


	40. July 1, 2009 (Afternoon)

It was the middle of the week. Generally, cram school students felt relieved over this realization as it meant that the arduous effort that training camp required of them would soon be over and the routines of their daily lives would continue on as normal. Ryuuji, however, wasn't too concerned about this. Some would say that this was because he enjoyed working hard, or because he benefited from this arrangement  as it meant he got to sleep over with his best friend. But the simple truth was that he was just much more preoccupied with the events that had happened over the past couple of days. Just as Shiro had predicted, Rin had no recollection of the conversation they'd had two nights ago, nor was he aware of the fact that the following night, he'd wandered into Ryuuji's bed to look for his misplaced key. In fact, Rin was completely oblivious to the fact that something was wrong at all. He was acting like he usually did, and while that gave Ryuuji a sense of relief, a deeper part of him felt frustrated. The teen wasn't really comfortable with keeping silent about what was going on, and he knew he would feel more at ease talking to Rin about this. Still, in the end he kept his word to Rin's dad, believing that the man knew what was best.

And so, while blessing the fact that Rin slept like a rock, Ryuuji struggled to get him back into his own bed this morning and retrieved the key before proceeding to wake his best friend up.

It was a little easier to let his worries go as he talked with his friends and saw Rin's easygoing smile. The few times he was alone, or even going to class, on the other hand, only allowed his mind wander aimlessly. The hardest part about it all was the disquieting sense of unease that had taken ahold of him. Ryuuji was having a hard time keeping up with the pace of his thoughts. His responsibilities, desires and personal worries filled every corner of his mind, leaving him with little space to think of anything else. Not even chanting sutras or meditation gave him the sense of peace he was used to.

"…'er out, Suguro-san."

Ryuuji blinked. The fog that had taken hold of his senses lifted as he registered his name being called. He straightened up attentively and looked up to see that his teacher's expectant gaze on him.

"Uh…" he uttered as heat began to crawl up his cheeks in shame. He'd completely zoned out. He had no idea what his teacher wanted him to do. _Shit,_ he thought as scrambled to come up with an appropriate response.

Their Holy Scriptures Recitations teacher, Angeline, quickly understood what his problem was. The blonde woman gave Ryuuji a disapproving look.

"Really, you two…"

She glanced over at Izumo and shook her head.

"Uh, Sensei?" Rin was raising his hand, glancing a couple of times towards Ryuuji with a confused look but he quickly called the class' attention onto himself instead of the larger teen beside him. "C... Can I try?"

Angeline looked surprised by the request, but she quickly agreed to it.

"Of course, Okumura-san! Go ahead."

Rin gulped and stood up straight, drawing his classmates' eyes to him. "Every day we thank Thee. And we praise Thy Name forever and ever. O Lord, d...deign to keep us from sin every day..." He paused for a second but quickly barreled forward so the teacher didn't have a chance to stop him. "H-Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us! Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be on us, for we have hoped in Thee... O Lord...? In Thee I have hoped; let me never be put to shame!" he finished with an excited grin.

"Well done!"

Angeline looked impressed. Her lipsticked mouth slowly lifted into a satisfied smile. This was the first time Rin had performed this well in her class. He usually stumbled over his words a lot more.

"Well, I'm happy to see zat at least one of you has been keeping up with your studies," she commented aloud, prompting Ryuuji's grin of pride to slip as he and Izumo winced. "Still, you're not in ze clear yet, Okumura-san." Rin's shoulders slumped a little bit. "Fatal Verses are only effective when properly recited. You must keep your voice steady. A single stutter or a misplaced word can be fatal to your well-being as well as zat of your teammates. It was a good effort, however." The blonde woman gestured to Rin to take his seat again with an acknowledging nod as her hand rose to scratch the ear of the white cat resting on her shoulder. "Keep practicing until you can perfect it. As for ze rest of you," she said, addressing the entire class though it was clear that her words were mainly directed to Izumo and Ryuuji, "I recommend zat you take some time to clear your heads and to resolve any pending issues zat may be troubling you. This is a practice zat you should all learn to follow as soon as you can. Focus is a vital key to any successful exorcist, not just Arias," she finished with a sniff.

The rest of the lecture continued on without incident until Angeline took her leave. Despite his performance not being perfect, Rin was still proud that he'd managed to remember it at all and recite it in front of the class. He only wished his dad or his brother had seen.

"See? I knew you'd get the hang of it!"

Predictably, Ryuuji was the first one among the group to praise him.

"Looks like all that studyin' paid off, huh?" Shima said as he leaned back on his chair, resting the back of his head against his arms which were crossed behind him. "At this rate, you're gonna end up leavin' me behind!" he joked.

"Yukio-kun is drilling you just as hard, isn't he?" Konekomaru commented as he glanced over at his friend, who grimaced at his words.

"Don't remind me," the pink-haired groaned. "All that memorization's killin' my brain."

"It ain't that hard," Ryuuji scoffed.

"You're only sayin' that 'cause you're good at it," Shima grumbled.

"Aw, c'mon, Renzou. It's not that hard!" Rin repeated his friend's words with a grin.

"Memorizing isn't that great of a skill," Izumo spoke up, loud enough to be heard but she wasn't looking at them.

The friendly chatter among the students vanished at the words. Ryuuji's head immediately turned, and he shot a narrow glare at Izumo, who seemed indifferent about their reactions.

"Huh? What'd ya say?" he challenged, scowling.

"You heard me." Izumo looked at Ryuuji straight in the eye. "Memorizing is nothing you should be proud of."

Rin frowned. Beside him, Ryuuji's scowl deepened. His own pride aside, what she was saying implied Rin's efforts had been worthless. He couldn't forgive that.

"Take it back," he growled. His hands clenched into tight fists as he clambered up to his feet. There was a spark of fire in his eyes.

"Bon..." Konekomaru's eyes widened. Both he and Shima looked alarmed and they were staring between the two in worry.

"Ryuuji, chill-"

"Why should I?" Izumo stood up, her lips curled into a malicious smirk. "Aria are totally defenseless while they're chanting. They need to be protected by their team! One little slip up and it's over! Aria are nothing but baggage when it comes to real missions!"

"What was that?" A vein of anger throbbed on Ryuuji's forehead. "We're all aimin' to be Arias here, ya know!" The tall teen took a step forward, past Rin, until he was standing right in front of Izumo. He looked down at her and his anger shifted as he matched her condescending smirk with one of his own.

"Tch. It's that shitty attitude of yours that's the real baggage here. Ya think anyone's gonna wanna protect ya when yer actin' like this?"

"Wh-Who said I wanted to be protected?!" Izumo shot back, her fists clenched at her sides. "If you have to be protected then you have no place as an exorcist! You have to pull your own weight if you want to survive!"

"Why, you...!" Ryuuji was quickly losing the last of his temper. "Didn't ya learn anything this week? I'd expect ya to at least be a little more grateful after Rin saved your asses the other day, but if this is the way ya think things should be then it's no wonder your little friend decided to leave," he sneered.

"How dare you!" Izumo growled but before she could get the next word out, Rin was pulling back on Ryuuji's sleeve.

"Ryuuji, chill out!" He raised his voice. "Don't even give her the time of day. She isn't worth it."

Izumo's fists were trembling as she glared at the two boys. "I never asked you to save me! I never asked you to do anything for me so don't start acting like I'm in your debt!"

"Are ya even hearin' yerself?" Ryuuji was too far gone to hear Rin's words. His sole focus was on getting through Izumo's thick skull. "Ya didn't want to be saved? You'd rather we leave ya to die? Quit the tough act already and show some damn gratitude!" he snapped.

The two looked ready to turn the fight into a physical altercation. Thankfully, it seemed like Rin was already preparing himself to hold Ryuuji back. Shima and Konekomaru decided to stand up, just in case. A couple of feet away from Izumo, Shiemi moved to do the same. The tense atmosphere urged her to speak up.

"Y-You two, please don't fight...!"

The blonde girl timidly reached out until her hand was hovering over Izumo's sleeve. Izumo, however, wasn't receptive to the close contact and turned to glare at her before Shiemi could get any closer. Ryuuji's temper snapped as he saw Shiemi flinch back, and he reached out to grab Izumo's collar.

But that's when a familiar sharp whistle came from the entrance to the classroom.

"That's enough." Shiro spoke sternly. With those words, the tension in the air seemed to evaporate. Heads turned and Ryuuji immediately straightened up and held back a wince as he caught sight of their teacher's disapproving stare. From behind Shiro, Yukio stepped into the classroom, looking equally as disapproving as his father, and the presence of the two of them caused the rest of the tension that remained in the classroom to wither.

"Okumura-sensei." Shiro glanced towards him and Yukio simply nodded. Without further word, Shiro turned and left the classroom.

"Everyone, please gather your things." Yukio smiled. "We will return to the dorm in an orderly fashion. No talking please."

The command was readily followed by all the students, including those that hadn't been involved in the fight. They all fell in line silently after picking up their things. Shima was the sole one among them who considered opening his mouth, but the look on Yukio's face made him bite his tongue instead.

The walk back to the dorm was as silent and orderly as Yukio requested. They were all instructed to leave their school bags in their rooms and were brought to the room that they usually used for study hall and practice quizzes, but the long table that once sat there was now gone. Instead, Shiro stood in the center of the room and, on the far side, there was a collection of large rocks sitting on the floor that seemed to have distraught faces etched into them.

They were all instructed to sit down and each of them got one of these heavy rocks in their laps.

"Make sure to hold on to your Baryons." Shiro smiled. "We wouldn't want them rolling off."

"Urgh... What are these...?!" Rin held on to the groaning boulder as it pressed heavily down on his knees.

"These are low level demons..." Konekomaru explained with a pained grimace. "They're supposed to get heavier the longer you hold them," he said, clutching tightly to the small mala in his hands to prevent himself from wincing.

"Pinpon~" Shiro grinned. "Good job, Miwa-kun. You're absolutely right. Now all of you are going to sit here for a while and make friends." Izumo opened her mouth but before she could utter a syllable, Shiro lifted his hand in a halting gesture.

"I don't care who started it. I don't care what the fight was about." Shiro's tone turned serious as he looked over the students. "The fact of the matter is that you're all in this together whether you like it or not. You're a team. No matter how capable you think you are, exorcists can't fight alone. A Dragoon needs a Knight to hold the enemy back while he reloads his weapon, a Knight needs a Doctor to patch them up, a Tamer needs her fellow teammates to protect her as she summons her familiars, and an Aria needs protection while they chant a Fatal Verse."

The group was silent as Shiro placed his hands on his hips. "You are together because each and every one of you have weaknesses. But each and every one of you have strengths to cover for your classmates' weaknesses. That's why you're a team. But if you let a fight break out in the group, you will fail. There have been deaths on missions because of petty arguments. So I don't care who started it. The only important thing is that it gets resolved. The entire group feels the repercussions of one member's mistakes so that's why we're all sitting here together right now."

The importance behind Shiro's words was not lost on his students. They all understood the message he was trying to impart on them, though some of them took this lecture harder than others. Ryuuji, for one, felt guilty for having allowed his temper to blow up to this extent. He should've listened to Rin and let the issue drop, but he hadn't, and now he felt as if he had disappointed the man in front of him. Even Izumo looked embarrassed in herself and was avoiding everyone's gazes, especially the teachers'.

Shiro looked over the class and nodded. "Okumura-sensei and I have a lot of work to do. We'll be going out on a mission for a couple hours. So to make sure you're all safe while we're gone, we'll be locking the doors and placing protective barriers around the dorm building."

Something seemed off about these words.

"Wait…" Shima squinted up at Shiro before switching his gaze to Yukio, who was standing behind him. "If ya do that, then how will we go out...?" he asked with a sense of dread coloring his words.

"There's no need to go anywhere," Yukio responded with a smile. "You all will stay here and we'll return an hour before lights out during which you'll be able to eat and finish your homework."

"That's right." Shiro's lips widened into a grin. "So just sit down, relax, and make sure to keep those  _big, fat, ugly_  rocks in your laps." He enunciated each insulting adjective and as the Baryons heard him, their groaning grew in volume and distress and their weight seemed to double. Rin slammed his fist into the ground and gritted his teeth in order to prevent from calling out. Yukio's smile seemed almost sympathetic. Shiro's, on the other hand, looked completely gleeful.

"See you all later!" Shiro waved at his students and the two exorcists left the room.

There was a moment of silence.

"T-They're demons. The both of them." Shima stared at the closed door in horror and let out a tiny whimper of pain. The line of students looked as distraught as the Baryons on their legs.

Well, at least most of them did. In comparison to the rest of them, the reticent duo of their class didn't seem to be affected by the heavy rocks pressing down on their legs. Takara's expression didn't budge an inch, and while Yamada's face was hidden under the shadow of his hoodie, he was gently petting the rock on his legs in his usual unflappable demeanor.

"Th… They're usually not this bad…" Rin managed through gritted teeth and slumped shoulders. His feet and ankles were falling asleep while his knees and thighs were just in pain. It was an uncomfortable situation all in all and he wondered how they were going to survive this for  _hours._

"We're gonna die," Shima moaned.

"No we ain't," Ryuuji shot back, his words coming out like a pained hiss. He was trying his best to stay still and endure the harsh punishment, knowing it was well deserved. "This'll be over... quicker than ya think. We'll be fine," he grunted.

Konekomaru nodded along with the words and Shima accepted the reassurance with a grimace. This didn't appease Ryuuji's guilt, however. The taller teen glanced over at Izumo who was enduring their punishment in complete silence. He scowled slightly as he remembered the argument he'd had with her, but his mind won over his heart this time and he forced himself to calm down as he tried to get her attention.

"Hey, listen."

Izumo's head wasn't the only one who turned at his sudden change of tone, but it was her face that he focused on at that moment. Ryuuji battled with himself to do what was right. Apologizing to this girl really irked him, and he hadn't forgiven her for what she had said, but Shiro's words had had the desired effect on him. There was no place for antagonism among the group.

"About earlier... Sorry," he said somewhat grudgingly. "For losin' my temper," he clarified a second later. The Baryon on his legs seemed to get lighter as he spoke, but Ryuuji didn't notice. He stared at Izumo expectantly.

A few seconds passed before Izumo looked back down at her Baryon with a small scowl. "Whatever," she muttered. "I know you're just playing nice because Sensei told us off."

"Hey." Rin growled defensively which caused the purple-haired girl to glare at him.

"It's true, isn't it? Look, I don't need your friendship but Sensei was right. So yeah." Izumo looked forward passively. "Sorry, too."

Ryuuji's eyes narrowed at her tone. "Tch. Ya really do have a shitty attitude," he muttered under his breath.

Izumo looked up but just as she opened her mouth to shout at him, their surroundings suddenly went dark. There was a loud thump followed by Rin releasing a high-pitched squeal. His Baryon had fallen out of his lap when he straightened in shock. The loud noise caused Izumo's Baryon to jump up, consequently landing on Rin's foot. The other Baryons seemed similarly terrified as they jumped and rolled to the corners of the room, still groaning in distress.

"Ow…!" Rin held his foot close to his chest. "What happened?"

"A power outage?" Shima squinted through the darkness and took out his phone, using it to illuminate the room. Everyone else who had a phone moved to do the same and they all got up to their feet, with Ryuuji pulling Rin up after shooting him a concerned glance.

"Maybe…" Konekomaru didn't seem convinced. From the window, they could spot the town lit up in the distance. A knot began to tighten at the pit of his stomach. "The rest of the campus seems fine though. Maybe the fuse just blew out," he suggested, trying not to think about the last time the lights had unexpectedly gone out.

"You… think they'd know if we left the room to find out?" Rin was holding onto Ryuuji's sleeve, squinting through the darkness though his eyes were quickly getting used to it.

"I'm sure Sensei would understand if we did…" Shiemi suggested quietly as she held her hands anxiously up to her chest.

"Yeah, and he won't find out unless we run into Tamiko anyway, and she always stays by the staircase, so it'd be easy to sneak past her," Shima said as he glanced back at the blonde. He shot her a reassuring grin and it seemed to calm her somewhat. Pleased, he switched his gaze to the rest of the group. "Ya guys up to checkin' it out?" he asked, cocking his head towards the door.

Konekomaru looked unsure. "I'm not sure if that's a good idea…"

"Well, we could always stay here 'til the light comes back... Heheh, anyone up to a game of—"

Shima suggestion was cut off by a loud crash, followed by a chorus of gasps and shrieks. The door to the room was smashed open by a large fist and a large growling shadow began crawling inside.

"That's...!" Rin's eyes widened as he was met with a familiar sight. It was the ghoul from two days ago. It was still after him!

"Didn't Sensei say he was going to put up barriers?!" Izumo shouted, standing squared. Her eyes dashed about, looking for an escape, but there was only one door in the room.

The ghoul groaned as it shifted closer and Rin was quick to stand at the front of the group, holding tightly to the cloth-clad Kurikara.

"Rin! What're ya doin'? Get back here!" Ryuuji hissed.

The tall teen reached forward, ready to yank Rin back by his shirt, but the ghoul took a menacing step towards them then which made him momentarily freeze. The students watched in fear as the ghoul leaned in, growling. Its empty sockets seem to be focused on Rin. Ryuuji swallowed his fear and pulled Rin back just as the lump next to the monster's head slowly began to inflate. The stitchings keeping the rotting flesh together came apart little by little as the skin bulged and—

_POP!_

A dark, putrid substance splattered across the room, landing on the walls, floors, and the students themselves.

"Ugh, what the hell is this?" Shima muttered, grimacing as he stared at the stained sleeve of his shirt.

"It stinks!" Rin put his hand over his mouth and nose in disgust. The smell of rot was pungent in the air.

"It's miasma! Don't let it touch your skin!" Ryuuji warned.

Thankfully, most of the miasma had landed on their clothes. They quickly wiped away the remainder that landed on their skin, wincing at the burning sensation it left, but they weren't out of danger yet. Particles of the miasma began to disperse across the room, making it harder to breathe. And the ghoul, now with a slobbering, one-eyed new head, slithered his tongue forward as it crawled towards them.

"Crap!" Shima squeaked from behind Rin. "What do we do?!"

The answer came from the last person they had expected to speak up. Shiemi stepped forward with a determined expression and her familiar standing on her hands. "Nii-chan! I need Unauna-kun!"

As soon as she said the words, thick branches of holy wood burst out of Nii's stomach and extended towards the ghoul, pushing it back until it was pinned to the wall. The ghoul let out a piercing cry of pain as it was struck and the blow momentarily immobilized it, allowing Nii more time to fulfill Shiemi's request. More and more branches emerged from his body and they expanded across the room, cramming against the floor and walls until there was a barrier of holy wood separating the students from the ghoul.

"Whoa…" There was a collective sound of awe from the students.

"Thank you, Nii!" Shiemi said with relief, smiling at the Greenman.

"So cool! Good job, Shiemi!" Rin grinned and stepped forward to pat the thick roots. "We should be safe until they come back."

But no sooner that the words had left his lips, there was a movement beyond the roots. A long groan vibrated the air around them and was punctuated by the sound of splintering wood. Rin jumped back.

"I-It's breaking through!" Rin pulled out his phone and immediately dialed his dad's number.

"We're really gonna die," Shima moaned as he stared at the barrier with trepidation.

"No we ain't!" Ryuuji snapped at him. He glanced at Rin and inwardly prayed that someone picked up the phone. Things weren't looking good… The ghoul kept bashing against the wooden barrier which splintered and snapped under the blows.

"There's gotta be a way to stop that thing!" he said, swiping away the sweat that was beginning to gather on his forehead.

"Ghouls get really vicious when it's dark," Konekomaru said, coughing. "If we could get the light to turn on, it would -coughs- weaken it..."

"Great. Just great!" Shima coughed into his sleeve. "I don't suppose flashing our cell phones at him will do any good?!"

Shima's sarcastic suggestion went ignored as Shiemi fell to her knees. She began coughing as well, though it seemed she was straining to keep herself from doing it.

"I feel… dizzy…" she gasped.

"Shiemi!" Rin was the only one not coughing among the group. When neither his dad nor his brother picked up the phone, he cursed and looked around at his classmates before his gaze finally settled on Ryuuji. "I'm gonna go and lead it away! If it follows me, you guys will be safe! I can run fast and get downstairs to the fuse box to turn the lights on." He pushed his phone back into his pocket and hurried to the wall of roots and pulled himself up on a large one, preparing to crawl through.

"Huh? Wait a sec!" Ryuuji gaped incredulously for a full second before tugging Rin back forcefully by his elbow. "Are ya insane?" he hissed. "Quit tryin' to act cool all on your own!"

"I'm not tryin' to be cool!" Rin pulled at his arm. He glanced back towards the group before hissing quietly at his friend so the others wouldn't hear. "It's after me!"

"No shit," Ryuuji muttered.

"Th… Then?! Let me go!" Rin whispered urgently, pulling at his arm again as he glanced back towards the sounds of destroying wood.

"No freakin' way!" Ryuuji hissed through his teeth. "There's no way in hell I'm lettin' ya play bait for us! How are ya even planning to deal with that thing if it catches ya? Ya got a death wish or somethin'?!"

"Guys! Is this really the time to be arguing? We gotta hurry up and figure out what to do before that thing kills us! Once Moriyama-san's strengths runs out, we're doomed," Shima said.

"Shima-san's right. Bon too. We're all in this together," Konekomaru said, giving Rin a small but worried frown.

Rin looked between Ryuuji and the others. His eyes settled on Shiemi. Her shoulders and hands were shaking and he could tell she was under a lot of strain. Rin looked back through the wood where they could see splinters flying as the ghoul continued smashing its way through. Finally, he looked down at the tight grip his best friend had on his arm. Rin closed his eyes in defeat.

"Then what's the plan?" he asked after a moment, looking over at the group with a serious expression.

Ryuuji thought about it. The answer that came to him was easy, but the situation they were in caused a phantom pain in his shoulder that reminded him of Yukio's words. He hesitated.

_"By chanting to try and make yourself a target, you placed Nii-san and yourself in a very dangerous position. You almost died. An Aria is not supposed to take the front lines."_

_This isn't the same,_  he thought as he glanced at his friends and classmates.  _There ain't anyone around here to rescue us this time!_

_"You cannot act upon a whim when you become an exorcist. There is a way things are done and you must follow them."_

_Yeah, I know that._  He tightened his grip around Rin's elbow. There was little else they could do this time. Rin's plan was out of the question.

"We can try killing it with chants," he finally said, his tone decisive.

"You know its Fatal Verse?" Konekomaru asked, looking at him with surprise.

Ryuuji shook his head. "No, but the Fatal Verse of Ghoul type demons is usually from the gospel of John. I memorized the whole thing already, so if I just recite it all, I'm sure I'll stumble into it at some point."

"All of it? There's more than twenty chapters!" Shima protested with an incredulous expression.

"I... I know up to the first ten. I can help," Konekomaru said.

"Great." Ryuuji felt relieved by the support. "The more we can split up the work, the better. We need to get rid of this thing quick."

"I know the first two!" Rin said quickly, but then suddenly seemed unsure. He remembered his clumsy recitation just an hour before in class. "But... I think it's better if you two do it. I don't think I can say it without messing up." He grabbed Ryuuji's hand which was still gripping his elbow. "I'll support Shiemi instead."

"Same here." Shima was beginning to look calmer now that a plan was in motion. He slipped a hand beneath his outer shirt and brought out his K'rik which he quickly assembled into full length. "You guys are better at this stuff than us, so we'll just give you backup if it comes to that." He jumped slightly as the ghoul let out a piercing shriek. "Speaking of which, you might wanna start on that..." he said, letting out a nervous little laugh.

Rin's fingers tightened on Ryuuji's which had still refused to release his elbow. "Yeah, we gotta do this now." He looked at the taller teen. "I won't go anywhere."

Ryuuji hesitated, then nodded. His fingers loosened around Rin.

"Let's do this."

"You guys are all crazy!" Izumo's voice came out shaky and loud. "Once you start chanting, you'll be its target, you know? Why don't you let  _him_  do his job and be a Knight?!" she shouted accusingly as she pointed at Rin.

"I don't wanna hear that from someone who ain't even helpin'!" Ryuuji snapped. He spared her a glance, scowling, but soon he was sitting on the floor along with Konekomaru. He checked up on how Shiemi was doing, who was now accompanied by Rin, before focusing his gaze on the weakening barrier in front of them. This wasn't the time to fool around and get into arguments. "Tch. You've been actin' all tough this whole time, but when the push comes to shove, ya can't back up yer words, can ya? Just stand back and don't get in our way!" he said, and without waiting for a response, he started chanting.

The ghoul's groans that had previously filled the room all on their own were now accompanied by the steady recitation of words coming from both Konekomaru and Ryuuji. Rin knelt down beside Shiemi and looked at Nii who was standing in the palm of her hand, looking as strained as its summoner.

"Shiemi… You got this, okay?" Rin put a hand on her shoulder.

Shiemi glanced up at Rin and gave him a strained smile. Sweat slid down her forehead, past the side of her cheek. It was hard to tell in the dim lighting of the room, but her skin had long since lost its healthy glow. She was tired, worn out by the effect of the miasma and by her familiar sapping away at her strength. Still, Rin's words and the hand on her shoulder encouraged her to hang on.

"Yeah," she murmured. "I'm okay," she assured him as she willed herself to remain still and focused.

_She's trying so hard…_  Rin looked at her, the hand not on her shoulder clenching slightly in frustration.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. His expression was determined as he forced his fingers to loosen and gently cupped Shiemi's elbow in support. "I'm sorry for yelling at you a couple days ago… I'm sorry for butting in." Rin's expression softened and he smiled. "You're pretty strong, Shiemi."

The blonde's eyes widened. Her skin regained a bit of color as blood rushed up to her cheeks.

"Ah, I-" She became flustered. Hearing that from someone she looked up to left her speechless.  _Me? Strong?_ she thought, unable to believe it so easily.  _I'm not as strong as you guys... not yet._

Still, Shiemi felt warm. She felt like apologizing too for the way she'd reacted back then. Thinking back on it, she knew Rin had said those things because he'd been worried... because he cared.

_Because we're friends,_  she thought happily.

"Than-"

Shiemi's words of gratitude were lost under a loud crack. The ghoul had managed to break through one of the larger roots which made the entire barrier shudder. Rin gripped tighter to Shiemi's elbow as not one arm, but two, flailed out between the wood. A quick glance to Konekomaru and Ryuuji told him that they were still well into their chanting. They needed more time.

"C-Can you grow more?" Rin looked between Shiemi and Nii.

"Y-Yes!" Shiemi pressed her lips together and concentrated. Her familiar reacted to her silent command and another layer of wood burst forth, blocking the ghoul's passage.

"Don't overdo it, okay...?" Rin squeezed her shoulder and looked back at the still chanting teens. Shima was standing ready with his staff. A few feet back, Izumo was quietly biting her lip as she watched them along with Takara and Yamada. The situation seemed all too tense and time couldn't be moving slower. But still, Rin concentrated on keeping his mind from racing too fast. He was able to pick out Ryuuji's low, steady voice and allowed it to set the pace for his heart.

_Snap. Crack._

It had barely been a minute before the ghoul began breaking through again.

"Nii-chan!"

Shiemi's voice trembled as she willed her familiar to fix the barrier again.  _Please! I want to protect them!_

But no matter how strong her will was, Shiemi couldn't fight against the effect of the miasma. Her vision blurred and her fingers shook as the last of her energy was sapped away. When her body tilted sideways and fell to the floor, the barrier immediately disappeared.

"Shiemi!"

"Oh shit," Shima whispered.

It was at this moment that they noticed that the threat they were facing had doubled. They were dealing with two ghouls now, not one. The original must have split into two after the barrier had come up.

"Hey! Keep it together!"

Rin turned around to see Izumo kneeling at Shiemi's side and grabbing her shoulder. His expression softened for a single moment before he stood up and grabbed the clothed sword off his shoulder.

"Let's go, Renzou!" he shouted and jumped at the ghoul nearest to him, the one whose head had opened up like a flower. Its long tongue lolled out as its double lumbered towards the chanting pair. Rin smacked his ghoul in the face with the covered scabbard while Shima slammed his staff across the face of the other. They tried to push the ghouls back, jabbing at them with their weapons, but the ghouls pushed forward relentlessly.

"Shima-san!"

Just as Konekomaru finished reciting, the ghoul let out a frustrated gurgle and pushed Shima aside with a swipe of his arm. The pink-haired teen was thrown off his feet and he fell harshly on the ground. A pained hiss escaped him, but it was drowned out by the wheezing breaths of the ghoul charging towards the last person chanting in the room—Ryuuji.

"O-On basara gini nenhatana sowaka!"

Konekomaru felt shaky as he rushed over to Bon, but relief soon followed the moment his barrier successfully materialized. When the ghoul bashed against his barrier, Konekomaru's heart skipped a beat, but this was nothing like what he'd experienced back at Mepphy Land. Gone was that feeling of helplessness and his panic was drowned out by his determination to protect Bon and the rest of his friends.

"Renzou! Can you stand?!" Rin called out, looking quickly between his ghoul, the ghoul smashing at Konekomaru's barrier, and the pink-haired teen on the floor. This was a tough situation. This was beyond tough. This was impossible...

_No!_  It wasn't impossible! He couldn't think that way. Ryuuji was trying his best and so was Konekomaru. Even Shima was doing his utmost to fight. It wasn't impossible. Not while they could still move.

"Don't... count me out yet…!" Shima gritted his teeth. He got up on his elbows and ignored the stinging ache in his side. His fingers inched forward until they curled around his staff again and he leaned his weight on it as he stood up. The ghoul paid him no attention; it was completely focused on the target in front of him.

"Hey!" Shima felt fear curl up on his chest but he ignored it as he rushed forward. Someone let out a gasp, but Shima didn't register it until after he had thrust his staff into the ghoul's back.

"You idiot!" Izumo cried out.

The attack pierced right through the demon's rotten flesh. A squelching noise echoed throughout the room as the pointed end of his staff slid deeper into the screeching ghoul, but when it slipped back out, miasma splattered wetly across Shima's face.

"Shit…!" he hissed, stumbling back. His staff clattered to the floor as he reached up to try to wipe the substance that was burning through his skin.

Izumo's fingers made a grab for the folded up papers in her pocket but flinched back as she remembered the last time she had used them.

_" Tch. You've been actin' all tough this whole time, but when the push comes to shove, ya can't back up yer words, can ya? Just stand back and don't get in our way!"_

Tears of frustration and helplessness bubbled up as she reached down again for the only summoner left in the room. "Come on!" She grabbed Shiemi's shoulder and shook it. "Wake up already!"

"Kamiki-san…" Shiemi's eyes struggled to open. She focused her hazy gaze on the girl kneeling before her. "You weren't… your usual self today. Are you okay…?" she whispered.

"Wh…" Izumo's eyes widened and she froze.  _Me? Why are you worried about me?! You're the one who…_

Rin let out a roar as his sword fell to the ground. He slammed his fist straight into the jaw of the ghoul and it staggered back towards the other side of the room. The other ghoul was still pounding on Konekomaru's barrier who was furiously concentrating in order to keep it steady.

_She's right._  Izumo dug her hands into her pockets and pulled out two slips of paper. A quick bite of her thumb and a smear of blood later had the two white foxes materializing before her.

"Have you summoned us again?" Miketsu growled, his tail bushing up irritably.

"Know your place, woma-" Ukemochi had been about to speak but a loud and forceful voice caused them both to stand at attention.

"Obey me!" Izumo shouted. The foxes, after a moment of shock, immediately fell under her command.

_She's right. I haven't been myself._  The purple-haired girl drew a pentagram in the air with her fingers, chanting an incantation that was second nature to her now.

"Tremble as a leaf, tremble I say! Fall and never return to life!" The foxes followed her direction and rushed at the ghoul bearing itself upon Konekomaru's barrier. They rushed around it in a furious gale, freezing the monster in its tracks and offering the Aria-in-training a moment of peace. But the moment didn't last long. The ghoul batted the two foxes aside as if they were flies and Izumo felt it like a blow to the chest.

"N-No!"

With a roar, the ghoul proceeded to smash his fists against the barrier hard. It shattered upon impact and while Konekomaru took the brunt of it, the force pushed back the two teens behind it a couple of feet. Ryuuji, to his credit, had yet to stop chanting, but while his voice was steady, his hands were not. Seeing his friends fall one by one was eating him away. He glared up at the demon in front of him as it stalked closer. Konekomaru, recognizing that Ryuuji was near the end of his chant, tried to think of how else they could stall, but they had run out of options.

"Tremble as a leaf, tremble I say!" Izumo shouted, her voice wavering with weakness. "Fall and never return to life!" Miketsu and Ukemochi rushed forward once more as sweat poured down their summoner's brow. The ghoul was pinned again.

On the other side of the room, Rin was still battling with his ghoul. No matter how many times he hit the decaying flesh with his fist, the ghoul seemed to absorb his blows. He was holding the demon back but he wasn't doing any damage. Rin glanced backwards in time to see Izumo's foxes get thrown off once more and the purple-haired girl collapsing to her knees.

The ghoul was heading for Ryuuji.

At that moment, something sparked. Rin felt a rush of fire in his chest and he let out a loud, fearsome roar. His teeth seemed sharper and his eyes seemed brighter. Blue sparks danced out of his fingertips as he clenched his fists and dealt a mighty blow to the ghoul before him. This time, it took damage. The decaying monster was propelled into the wooden wall. Rin wasted no time. He turned and ran, scooping up the Kurikara he'd abandoned in favor of his fists and leaped up on the remaining ghoul's shoulders. Rin pressed the covered sword against the ghoul's neck and pulled back, causing the demon's balance to waver and back off from the chanting teen.

The ghoul behind him was recovering but by the time it crossed the room, it was too late.

"...we know that his testimony is true," Ryuuji said as he watched the ghoul try and pry off the Kurikara from its throat desperately. His own throat felt dry from chanting for so long, but when he met Rin's eyes over the ghoul's shoulder, he felt his racing heartbeat become steady. "And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail," he continued with a stronger, louder voice, "I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written!"

The ghouls let out a piercing screech as their Fatal Verse was finally uttered. Both stiffened in place as an excruciating sensation seared through them. They writhed and screamed with the very last of their strength as their flesh began to peel away layer by layer until, finally, they disintegrated into a mist of black particles.

It was over.

With the ghoul gone, Rin dropped from the air and fell on his ass. A quiet grunt escaped him, clearly audible in the shocked silence that began to encompass the room. Those who were still conscious peered around through the darkness, breathing heavily. Ryuuji swallowed dryly and clutched at the mala that hung from his fingers.

"W-We're…" he whispered, voicing the thought resounding in all their heads, "we're alive..."


	41. July 1, 2009 (Evening)

Rin gasped as he hurried on all fours to where Ryuuji was sitting on the floor as the lights in the room flickered on. The two ghouls were gone but leftover panic and adrenaline was still rushing through him. He could see that his friend wasn't harmed and neither was Konekomaru, but Shima was kneeling on the ground, groaning softly as he pressed the clean sleeve of his shirt against the burns on his face. Izumo, looking completely spent and damp with sweat, was sitting beside Shiemi, who was struggling to sit up.

The door opened and two coated figures entered the room.

"Ren-kun!" Yukio breathed, looking slightly pale as he hurried into the room and knelt down by Shima's side.

The pink-haired teen flinched slightly in surprise and he hissed as the cloth rubbed harshly against the damaged skin. He looked up to meet his best friend's worried eyes. "Yuki-chan…?" he whispered faintly.

"It's alright. Close your eyes and your mouth. I'll take care of it." Yukio was reaching into the pouches on his belt and took out a small pouch of aloe leaves and a tube of ointment. He began to treat the burns on Shima's face with gentle and steady hands.

Ryuuji put a hand on Rin's shoulder and looked over him as he glanced up at the door. When he met their teacher's eyes, he was filled with relief.

"Sensei…"

Shiro looked over the group, his eyes lingering on a few of them, before he knocked on the wall. "Alright, everyone. Come out." He stepped forward as exorcists seemed to come out of every cupboard, closet, and crawl space available.

"Wh-What!?" Rin cried out in shock.

But by far, the most surprising entrance was Mephisto's. No one noticed his appearance until he had already swung down from the ceiling, kicking Rin straight into Ryuuji. The two teens were pushed back with the momentum and they landed harshly on the wooden floor.

"Well done, Pages! Thank you for your hard work!" the Principal announced as he faced them with a slight smirk and an exaggerated bow that sent his cape fluttering behind him.

"What's going on...?" Konekomaru voiced as he glanced around the room.

The white top hat was promptly smacked off of Mephisto's head as Shiro reached his side. He crossed his arms and smiled at the kids, erasing the previous scowl he'd flashed at the principal.

"Well, you kids just made it through your Exwire Exam. We were all watching, making sure you survived. The results of the exam will come in in a couple days. For now, just take it easy," Shiro said softly as the rest of their teachers moved forward to help the injured ones.

Meanwhile, Rin was pushing himself up and rubbing the back of his head with an irritable hiss. Ryuuji groaned beneath him. Then, his dad's words registered.

"That was the test!?" he shouted out in shock.

"That's right!" Mephisto wagged his finger at him before leaning down to pick up his hat off the floor. "This training camp was your Exwire exam at the same time!" he confirmed as he plopped the top hat back on his head. "You didn't think that I'd allow another upper class demon to slip past my barriers again, did you?" he asked with a smirk.

Ryuuji's mouth dropped open in shock.

"B-But we almost died!" he spluttered.

"Nonsense!" Mephisto said dismissively. "As Fujimoto-sensei said, we had everything under control~ "

"But... that demon…!"  _Wasn't it after Rin?_ he thought, glancing over at Shiro with wide, questioning eyes. "Were ya guys testin' us earlier this week too?"

"The demon was Neuhaus-sensei's familiar." Shiro gestured back towards the doorway where Neuhaus was standing, watching over the group. Their gazes lingered on each other for a second longer than usual but once Shiro's attention returned to the kids, he was all smiles. "Everything was planned and under control. For now, all you kids need to worry about is resting and recovering."

Rin plopped down from his kneeling position to sitting on his feet. So it had all been… a test? Was the amusement park demon perhaps a coincidence? Was nothing coming after him after all?

"Father." Yukio was standing, holding an unconscious Shima almost too easily in his arms. "I'm going to take Ren-kun ahead, if that's alright."

Shiro nodded. "We'll follow with the rest of the class. Go do what you have to do."

Yukio nodded and spared a worried glance towards his brother but, in the end, he rested a final gaze on their father and was able to leave the room without a fuss, taking Shima with him.

"Is he gonna be okay?" Rin looked at his dad.

"Yukio's got him." Shiro grinned. "He'll be fine. Now let's get the rest of you up and given the proper medical attention. A good night's rest is needed, I think."

After the Doctors finished checking over their more serious injuries, the students were led to the infirmary. They were all given injections to counter the effects the miasma had caused when they had inhaled it. There was little conversation between them as they were treated and hooked up to IVs, but once the adults had left, they began to quietly talk amongst themselves.

"I still can't believe it was just a surprise test... They had us all fooled," Ryuuji grumbled.

"I wonder if Shima-san is alright..." Konekomaru said worriedly, glancing over at the curtained bed a few feet away, where Yukio was still treating their friend.

"I think he'll be fine." Rin was sitting nearby Ryuuji on the edge of the bed that Shiemi was resting on. The tired girl had fallen back asleep as soon as they gotten to the infirmary. "Yukio's a good doctor and Dad said he'd be okay, too." He smiled reassuringly. "Oh! By the way, where'd you learn that cool trick?" Rin looked at Konekomaru with interest. "The cool glowy shield thing!"

"Ah, that." Konekomaru looked down at his lap with a soft smile of relief. "Well, after what happened at the amusement park… I decided to look up a way to shield against attacks. We're supposed to learn it later on, but it looked useful and I didn't wanna risk putting it off. I'm glad I managed to learn it in time," he confessed, glancing at Rin and Ryuuji.  _I was able to protect you guys this time…_

"I'm glad ya did too. For a second there, I thought I was seriously gonna die." Ryuuji reached over to put a hand on Konekomaru's shoulder. "Thanks."

"It was nothing." Konekomaru's cheeks colored slightly. He shook his head. "In the end, I wasn't able to maintain it completely. We would've been in real trouble if Kamiki-san hadn't stepped in when she did," he said.

Ryuuji glanced over at the girl sitting a few feet behind them. It seemed like she wasn't paying attention but her stubborn and too stiff expression accompanied by a light flush told him otherwise.

"Shiemi was the best out of all of us, though." Rin looked back at the sleeping girl. "Without her and Nii, we would've been done for."

"Yeah. What she did was amazin'." Ryuuji glanced back at her as well with a look of admiration. "She bought us a lotta time. I don't even wanna think about what coulda happened if she hadn't been there. We really oughta thank her when she wakes up."

"Agreed." Konekomaru nodded.

The girl in question shifted slightly in bed, but no one noticed her slight reddening cheeks. Ryuuji's gratitude was quickly drowned out by the irritation he felt as he addressed the last members of their class.

"These two, on the other hand, might as well have been absent for all the help they gave. Ya guys just stood back and did absolutely nothing! Got anythin' to say for yerselves?!" he demanded, shooting them a firm glare.

To no one's surprise, Ryuuji's accusations were merely met with indifference. Yamada didn't even spare him a glance as he continued playing on his PSP.

"Alright... I got the Claw of the Scaly Dragon…" the boy cheered tonelessly.

On the chair next to him, Takara's expression didn't twitch, but the puppet in his hand spoke for him.

"Tch! Shut up, you stupid brats! I don't have a single damn thing to say to you!"

Ryuuji's eyebrow twitched.

"He spoke! That guy actually spoke!" Rin pointed at him in shock. "And he's so good at ventriloquism!"

"Keep it down, would you?" Izumo murmured irritably. "People are trying to rest."

"Ah, sorry." Rin rubbed the back of his neck.

"Tch." Ryuuji scowled but he took Izumo's heeding and quieted down. There was no point in starting an argument with those two. He had a feeling doing that would only give him a headache. What was done was done anyway. Now that the exam was over, all Ryuuji could think about was how relieved he felt. He wasn't really that concerned about passing. A part of that was because he felt they had all done the best they could have done. His biggest comfort, however, was knowing that the demons they had been encountering weren't actually targeting Rin. It had all just been part of the test. He was safe.

But the relief that shone in Ryuuji's eyes dimmed slightly as he glanced at his best friend who was back to talking animatedly about their ordeal. The thoughts that had been plaguing him this morning resurfaced. There was still one issue that had yet to be resolved—Rin sleepwalking. He wondered what Shiro was planning to do now that the training camp was coming to an end. Would he tell Rin what was happening to himself? Was there some way they could suppress Rin's flames?

Ryuuji looked down at his lap and frowned. One thing was for sure: he wasn't looking forward to going back to sleep in his own dorm.

The door opened. Ryuuji looked up and was shocked to see the man he'd just been thinking about walk into the room. Shiro didn't head towards them and instead made a beeline for Izumo. He crouched down, rested his elbows on his knees and spoke to her in a quiet voice. Izumo's eyes widened for a moment, her cheeks flushed, and she nodded silently, looking down at her lap. Shiro smiled and nodded. He then stood up and made his way towards Rin, Ryuuji, and Konekomaru whom had gotten silent with expectation.

"Seeing as the training camp was technically supposed to last all week, I'm asking everyone if they'd like to stay." Shiro rested a hand on Ryuuji's chair. "We don't really have anything planned and I figured you guys would want to be close by Renzou-kun." He pointed a thumb towards the curtained corner. "Getting help with homework from a couple teachers isn't bad either, right? But if you want to go back to your dorms, you can."

"Is there still gonna be study hall?" Rin asked with a curled lip.

Shiro chuckled fondly. "No more study hall," he said and Rin's expression immediately brightened. Ryuuji's eyes lit up as well.

"I'd like to stay," the teen said, inwardly relieved at the offer.

"Yeah, same here," Konekomaru agreed.

Shiro grinned. "Figured you'd all want to." He looked towards the sleeping blonde and then returned his gaze to the boys. "How are you all doing? The test ended up being a little more difficult than we'd planned." He rubbed the back of his neck with a small laugh.

"Did we do good?!" Rin sat up straight but Shiro quickly flicked his forehead.

"You know I can't tell you anything like that," he scolded as Rin rubbed the small red spot.

"I'm not sure I want to hear the answer any time soon," Konekomaru confessed with a quiet sigh. "I know we all did our best, but that test was really hard."

Shiro smiled softly. "Well, it's best you all get some rest for now. One of the other teachers will be by in a while to take out the IVs and you guys can go to bed." He reached over and pat Konekomaru's shoulder before ruffling Rin's hair who vocalized his protests. "See you in the morning." With that, Shiro turned to deliver the same message to Takara and Yamada. The conversation between them was shorter than theirs.

Rin was paying no attention to it, grumbling under his breath as he ran his hand through his hair. Ryuuji's lips twitched slightly as he watched him, but his eyes strayed towards their teacher once the man turned to exit the room. He'd have to wait until tonight to talk to him. Feeling a little more at ease about the situation, Ryuuji allowed himself to relax.

"We oughta get somethin' to eat once we get discharged," he said with a sigh as he slouched forward. His stomach took this moment to remind him just how hungry he really was. The growl it made caused him to smile sheepishly. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm starvin'."

"I can whip up something quick," Rin said with a grin.

"You should rest, Rin-kun. I'm sure Ukobach wouldn't mind preparing something for us," Konekomaru said with concern.

"I'm fine! Really. I like cooking for all of you." Rin lifted his hands and smiled. He glanced upwards towards the curtained corner. The inside had been quiet the entire time. He wondered if Shima was okay. Was Yukio still in there or had he left while they weren't looking? "I'll be right back," he murmured and stood up, heading towards the curtained bed and dragging the IV behind him.

Rin peeked into the curtains and opened his mouth but the sight that met his eyes made him immediately quiet. Shima was asleep. He had bandages on his face and an IV in his arm. The miasma soaked clothes had been changed and he was in a fresh shirt. Rin smiled a bit. Yukio was there and also sleeping, his glasses askew as he rested his head on his arm on Shima's bed. His free hand was placed gently on the other teen's.

Rin sighed softly, smiling a bit. He walked in and reached into a nearby closet, grabbing a spare blanket.

"Don't overdo it," he whispered as he spread the blanket over Yukio's shoulders, slowly edged the glasses off of his face and placed them on the bedside table. "And you rest well too." He grinned quietly at Shima before he left the area and closed the curtain behind him.

"They doing okay?" Ryuuji asked, keeping his voice low.

Rin gave two thumbs up before dragging his IV back. "The both of 'em are knocked out," he said, also keeping his volume in check.

"I'm not surprised." Konekomaru's eyes softened. "It's been a long day."

"Yeah." Rin sat down on the edge of Shiemi's bed again, glancing back cautiously towards the blonde before settling his gaze on the two in front of him. "The bad part's over though. It's smooth selling now, right?"

"That's smooth sailing, ya dork." Ryuuji sighed quietly but there was a small grin on his lips as he glanced at Rin.

"Isn't that what I said?" Rin rubbed the back of his head with a sheepish laugh.

A few minutes passed before one of their teachers came in to remove each of their IVs. They were all instructed to drink plenty of water and each of them were given a bottle to finish before bed. Shiemi stirred awake as the boys were getting up to their feet, and after they filled her in about what had happened, she decided to join them on their journey down to the kitchen. The rest of their classmates exited alongside them, but they headed out their own way. Izumo walked past them without a word and Shiemi felt a little relieved at the sight. Izumo didn't look as troubled as she had earlier. She was glad.

Mustering up her courage, Shiemi tried to call out to her, wanting to invite her to join them.

"K-Kamiki-san!"

But her words came too late. The other girl turned a corner and went out of view without giving a response. Shiemi's smile slipped slightly.

"Tch." Ryuuji scoffed under his breath.

"She probably went to check up on Paku-san," Konekomaru said gently as he tried to catch Shiemi's eye.

The blonde girl's mouth dropped open and her eyes lit up with understanding. "Oh, you're right!" she said.

Rin smiled and clapped a hand on her shoulder, which caused her to stumble slightly. She glanced up at him curiously. "You can join up with her in the morning for breakfast. For now, let's just eat something yummy and worry later!" he said.

Rin's words caused Shiemi's smile to slowly return and she nodded in response.

"Okay!"

The cooking began immediately as Rin strode into the kitchen. Ukobatch was quick to follow but not before giving Ryuuji a warning look. Rice was cooked and filling was made and soon they had a platter of perfectly made onigiri sitting between them all on the table. Rin quickly explained each flavor, as there was a variety of them, and they were quick to dig in.

The conversation over the food was easy and pleasant. They all took the time, at that opportune moment, to thank Shiemi for her hard work. The blonde girl was quick to reply with a flustered refusal but she was soon driven to accept their compliments after much insistence. After that, the conversation strayed to their plans for the rest of the week. They decided that they would still do homework together, albeit in a different room, and after that, the evening would be a slave to their whim. Ryuuji looked especially pleased when Rin mentioned he'd be able to cook more often what with the lack of tests in their future.

Shiro entered the cafeteria before long. The students were surprised to see him again. "After you all finish eating, get to bed, alright?" he said as he walked up behind Rin and snatched the onigiri from his hand before it reached his son's mouth.

"Hey, what the hell, old man!" He fumed as Shiro grinned and quickly took a bite.

The other students laughed slightly at the act. Then, Konekomaru stared up at Shiro with a questioning look.

"Did you forget to tell us something, sensei?" he asked.

"Hm?" Shiro looked at Konekomaru and his lips widened into a warm smile. "Not particularly. Just checking up on you all. Making sure you guys are doing alright." He patted Konekomaru's shoulder. "Don't stay up too late. I'm counting on you two to make sure everyone gets to bed at a decent hour." Shiro squeezed Konekomaru's shoulder and smirked at Ryuuji.

"We're not little kids!" Rin growled. "Get out of here already! Don't you have something to do?!"

"So rude!" But Shiro was smiling as he ruffled Rin's hair.

Ryuuji looked at the two interact, and for a second, there was a small pang in his chest that felt very much like longing. There wasn't a trace of envy when his lips lifted into a smile though. The other two sitting at the table had similar expressions.

It was Konekomaru who broke the mood. He responded to Shiro's words with a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. We'll be heading off soon. I don't think any of us has the energy to stay up late," he said.

"Good. You guys deserve a good long rest." Shiro smiled at the rest of the students at the table. "I'll see you all in the morning. Rest well and take it easy." He gave Rin one last pat on the head before leaving the cafeteria once more leaving his son to grumble and moodily fix his hair.

Shiemi giggled at the ruffled sight. Ryuuji was smirking slightly as he got up to his feet.

"Alright, alright, quit yer whinnin'." The tall teen picked up his plate and as Rin's hands fell down, Ryuuji leaned over to mess up his hair again. "Let's get goin' already!" he said once he was out of the other's reach.

"Mean! Ryuuji, you're cruel!" Rin shouted at him as he stood up and pointed challengingly at his friend. "Just you watch! I'll get my revenge!"

"Rin-kun, don't strain yourself," Konekomaru said, sighing quietly as he gathered up his plates too.

"That's right. Don't get so riled up and listen to Konekomaru. It's not like you can reach up here anyway," Ryuuji added with a wider smirk.

Konekomaru calmly put his plate down. He looked straight at Ryuuji. "Get him, Rin-kun."

"Shiemi!" Rin grabbed the girl's shoulders. "You've got to lend us your power! For my and Konekomaru's sake!"

"H-Huh?" Shiemi looked up Ryuuji wide-eyed and shook her head, flustered. "B-But!"

"Don't worry! I've got your back!" Rin smiled reassuringly. "And Nii can help, right?" He turned and shot Ryuuji a sinister grin.

"N-Now wait a minute!"

The teens fooled around in the cafeteria and ran down the corridors as they tried to ambush Ryuuji. Shiemi ended up getting dragged along, and though she ended up not using Nii, she found herself slowly joining in the teasing a little. Konekomaru and Rin shared successful grins once they were able to catch the taller teen, but even though Shiemi got them to lay off eventually, she too was laughing along with them at the way Ryuuji's hair was falling over his eyes.

Time seemed to pass under the blink of an eye as they all relaxed and by the time they all headed to bed, Ryuuji had completely forgotten to see Shiro.

That is, until Rin woke up again in the middle of the night.


	42. July 2, 2009

Rin glanced towards Ryuuji for what had to be the eighth time in the span of twenty minutes. Not that he was keeping count. His mind was elsewhere. Ryuuji wasn't feeling normal. Rin had noticed it for the past few days and his concern had reached its peak yesterday. Not paying attention in class? Losing his temper the way he did? It just wasn't like him. That and he'd been waking up to Ryuuji looking... tired.

After the exam, it seemed as though he'd gone back to normal. He had been joking around with them as usual and they'd gone to sleep rather pleasantly. But when Ryuuji woke him up this morning, Rin spotted bags under his eyes and he felt frustrated.

_"Nothing's changed between us, Rin. This ain't supposed ta be any different from writin' letters. If you're down, or happy, or angry, or anythin', we're supposed ta tell each other. 'S what we promised, right?"_

_Yeah that's what we promised, you big rooster..._ Rin clenched his fists underneath the table.  _So why aren't you telling me anything?!_

But he couldn't be angry at Ryuuji. He was also floundering. If his friend was keeping something from him, it had to be with good reason, right? Rin's fist loosened and he glanced towards Ryuuji again as his fingers found the beads around his wrist. So Rin was back to square one. Berate Ryuuji for keeping problems to himself or trust him to know what's best?

 _What would Ryuuji do if it was me?_ Rin looked down at his notebook that was idly drawing the shapes out of his textbook. Their teacher's lecture droned in the background.

_Ya dork! What're ya doin' keepin' things to yourself?! Rely on me! I'm your friend, right?!_

Rin smiled. Yeah. That's what Ryuuji would say. He closed his eyes and gave a silent vow. After class, he would pull Ryuuji aside and demand answers.

That was the plan anyway, but the second class was over, Rin got held back by their teacher.

"Okumura." Neuhaus's sole eye was focused entirely on Rin. He paid no attention to the rest of the teens crowding around the black-haired teen.

When Rin met his gaze, Neuhaus gestured for him to come closer. His expression was as serious as ever. "Stay behind. There's something I'd like to discuss with you."

 _Oh damn!_  Rin gulped.  _Did he notice I wasn't paying attention?_  He looked at Ryuuji worriedly but quickly put on a smile.

"I guess I'll catch up with you later," he said as he gathered his things and put his sword over his shoulder.

Ryuuji frowned slightly. "We can wait up for you," he said, lingering by the door.

Neuhaus' gaze strayed towards the tall teen. Though he wasn't quite glaring, there was something intimidating about the way he was looking at him. It made the back of Ryuuji's neck prickle uncomfortably.

"Do as you wish, but do it outside," the teacher said brusquely. "Close the door behind you."

Ryuuji hesitated, but Konekomaru tugged at his sleeve and pulled him outside. "C'mon, Bon."

"It's alright! I'll text you. Don't wait up," Rin said placatingly, inwardly cursing at the bad timing. He'd have to talk to Ryuuji tonight.

"We should check up on how Shima-san's doing. Rin-kun can meet up with us there, right?"

Ryuuji finally nodded after he saw Rin agree to the suggestion. "See ya later then," he said.

Once the door was closed, Rin shuffled up towards his teacher. "So, um. What is it, Sensei?" he asked in a small voice.

Neuhaus stared down at Rin with that usual cold expression of his. When he spoke, neither his expression nor the curt tone of his voice changed.

"Your father has returned. His mission ended quickly, but he did not come back uninjured. I have been instructed to take you to him."

Rin's eyes widened as he forgot almost immediately about his own troubles. "The... The old man is... I mean, my dad! He's hurt? Is it bad? Does Yukio know yet?"

"I have not been informed of the details. Come. Let's not waste any time."

Neuhaus walked past Rin in that slow limping gait of his. He headed for the door, but instead of opening it, he pulled a familiar ring of keys out of his pocket. He glanced back at Rin out of the corner of his eye as he slipped a key into the keyhole.

"Hurry up. I have other matters to attend to."

Rin's throat knotted up with worry and he nodded, trailing after his teacher. He remembered his father setting off that morning, telling him that he'd be back by the end of cram school. The mission was simple he said and Rin never doubted that anything would happen to his strong dad.

His mind was much too muddled and as he followed Neuhaus through the portal, he didn't notice the grass under his feet until the click of a door echoed across the empty and dark clearing. Rin blinked and looked around. It was the same place where Shiro had taken them during that first Pharmacology class.

The hair on the back of his neck rose and the fur on his tail bristled. Rin furrowed his brow and slowly turned to face his teacher.

"S... Sensei?"

There was finally a change in the older man's expression. There was something dark, something off-putting lurking behind that cold gaze. Neuhaus was smirking as he stared at Rin.

"What luck… I didn't think this would be that easy," the man said, much to Rin's confusion. "To think that I would be able to draw you out here after all the trouble you've been giving me… I suppose you are merely a fool without those protectors of yours around."

Rin's instincts were screaming as his mind struggled to catch up and make sense of the situation. He faced Neuhaus and took a couple steps back. "Where's my dad? What's going on?"

After all the trouble…

"You…" Rin swallowed. "You  _have_  been after me…" Those ghouls… After the exam was revealed he'd assumed the whole thing was a test. He thought that everything had been a ruse and he'd just been jumping to conclusions. He had lowered his guard.

"Where's my dad?! And Yukio?!" Rin demanded as he glared at the man before him, his fists clenching. "If you hurt them…!"

"You'll what?" Neuhaus' smirk widened. He began to push back the sleeves of his coat without breaking eye contact. The bandages covering his arms slowly unraveled. "If your father couldn't do anything to protect himself, what makes you think you'll fare any better?" he taunted.

Rin's eyes widened and his heart jolted. He felt as though it had jumped into his throat and the vibration had spread through his whole body all the way to the tips of his fingers. His skin felt like it was on fire. His breath was becoming shorter and his eyes darted around at the many circles and markings on his teacher's arms that were slowly being revealed.

"What did you do?" His voice was unnaturally even. His blue eyes nearly glowed and the Kurikara felt hot on his back.

"Hmm, who knows..." Neuhaus reached into one of his pockets and took out a sharp blade, which gleamed under the light of the afternoon sun. "It doesn't matter. I have no intention of telling you," he said calmly before lifting the blade and stabbing it into his own arm. Blood dripped down his skin thickly.

"Now, come forth!" he shouted, and out of the long line of summoning circles etched on his skin, a barrage of hands sprouted and flew towards Rin.

"Augh!" Rin cried out as the hands grabbed onto his wrists and ankles, slamming him roughly into the large trunk of a nearby tree. He wheezed, having the wind knocked out of him but before he could inhale, one wrist was released and the tight grip relocated to his neck. Rin grabbed at the rotting fingers on his throat. "S… Sensei! Stop th… this!"

"What's wrong? Don't tell me this is all it takes to defeat you."

The hand on Rin's neck tightened as Neuhaus spoke. The older man stood his ground as he carefully observed the scene before him. "You were able to hold your ground against my Naberius before. Don't think I'll be fooled by this display of weakness!"

But much to the older man's ire, the bright glint he'd seen in Rin's blue eyes had faded slightly as he gasped and struggled. The man let out an annoyed noise, but in the next moment, a large ghoul jumped down from the tree Rin was pinned to. The ghoul glanced at Rin as it slithered over to Neuhaus and it was kneeling before the man when he next spoke.

"Shall I go after your little brother next?"

Again, his heart jolted. Rin felt that heat again surge through him and his fingers dug deeply into the hand at his throat. It wriggled violently as if in pain. The miasma splattered forth from its skin but even though it drenched his fingers, Rin's glowing blue eyes were focused on Neuhaus.

"Don't… touch… my… brother…" He growled, baring his sharpening fangs. With each exhale, a growl surfaced from his throat. Blue sparks were beginning to dance across his skin. They fizzed gently in his ear like tempting whispers.

"If you go anywhere near my family…" Rin reached back, nearly ripping open the sleeve of his sword. "I'll… I'll…" He didn't know what he was doing. Why was he grabbing the sword? No, he didn't need the sword. He could talk, right?

Rin's gaze darted to his hand. The grip around the hilt of the Kurikara was so tight, his fingers were white. His arm was shaking. Pull it open. He needed a weapon. Rin's eyes flickered back and forth between the sword and the beads on his wrist.

Ryuuji.

Neuhaus would surely go after all of them. This was the only way.

Rin pulled open the sword.

Blue flames surged forward and Rin screamed as it seemed to blaze every pore on its way out. The pain barely lasted for a moment, and then relief. Relief unlike he'd ever felt. The flames licked sweetly at his skin. His ears grew and his jaw opened slightly to make room for the elongated fangs.

He fell into the grass. The hands that had been holding him up were now nothing but piles of ash. Rin's tail lashed out from under his shirt, swiping the air and trailing blue flames. Rin could hear the screams of the demons that lived in the forest. They shrieked in terror.

And it felt  _good._

"That's it..." As Neuhaus looked down at Rin, a hot flash of scorn coursed through him. There was fear, too, but it was overpowered by the searing memory of his wife's screams and the painful ache that still lingered in his body.  _Filthy demon_ , he thought as that familiar, hot anger continued to bristle beneath his skin.

"Those flames are what I wanted to see. Those blue flames. At last you have shown me your true nature, Son of Satan!"

The ghoul in front of Neuhaus swiftly swiped at Rin with its tail. The thick limb slammed against Rin's face but his head only whipped to the side even though the blow seemed strong enough to toss a grown man several feet.

Rin snarled. The pain that blossomed in his cheek caused the anger in his chest to grow and mix with the fear and terror in his ears.

… Who did that ghoul think he was? To strike someone so powerful as he?

The half-demon roared and lunged forward, gripping the sword with both hands and attacking the ghoul with his blade. His pupils shrunk into pinpricks as he sunk his blade into the ghoul's decaying flesh. More. More. It wasn't enough. Rin let out a loud yell and his flames surged down the sword, quickly spreading to the screeching demon underneath him. It burst into flames, the forest painted blue with the unnatural light.

The screams were lessened. Demons were fleeing for their lives. Rin could only feel anger and hunger. His chest heaved with the power bursting into every muscle. It wasn't enough. Rin lowered himself close to the dying demon and crawled through the blue flames that seemed to gravitate back to his body.

"Rrr...raaa...ghh…" Rin opened his mouth and growls were all that left his lips.

"It seems you've become nothing more than a mindless beast. How pathetic." Neuhaus sneered as the creature before him crawled forward. The sight before him sickened him. He spread out his bloody arm in front of him and more hands sprouted from it and headed towards Rin, but they quickly disintegrated as they came into contact with him. "Tch!" Neuhaus jumped back to put some distance between them and gritted his teeth as a dull pain shot up one of his legs when he landed. The older man pulled out a canister of holy water and threw it in Rin's direction as he jumped after him.

Rin let out a shocked scream as the holy water sizzled into his skin. The flames died down slightly, doused a bit by the blessed liquid. The half-demon thrashed, shaking the water off of him as welts and blisters sprouted on his skin but soon healed with a tuft of blue flame. When he looked up at Neuhaus, his irises were jagged and bright. They weren't the eyes of a human. He growled and panted before lunging forward with a rage filled roar.

 _As I thought._ "So holy water works, even though you wear human skin." The confirmation only fueled Neuhaus' determination. This… thing wasn't human. Okumura Rin needed to be exterminated.

The effect of the holy water didn't hold the other back for long enough though. Still, Neuhaus threw another canister at him and ran off in the opposite direction. He headed for the large pentagram he had drawn before leading Rin to this place. After making sure the other was still ways away, he began to mutter an incantation as his blood dropped into the circle. Within seconds, a giant ghoul emerged from the ground. It was the strongest Naberius Neuhaus could summon.

"Go!" he commanded, and the hulking mass in front of him lunged towards Rin, who had already almost closed the distance between them. This time, when those massive arms slammed against Rin, the half-demon was sent flying across the field.

Rin slammed into a tree and the trunk splintered under the force. He slid down into the grass, his body shaking as his spine and ribs knit themselves back together. He heaved rough pants as he pulled himself to his feet, watching the ghoul lumber towards him. Rin growled, rage blossoming in his chest with such ferocity that he felt his strength return to him.

_Kill it. Destroy it._

The half-demon sprinted at the ghoul, wielding his sword with two hands and slashing a large wound at its belly. The ghoul screeched as the blue flames burned through its body but it struggled despite the pain and lunged for Rin with its thick, decayed fingers. Its hand curled around the half-demon's entire body and pulled him away, ripping Rin's grip away from the sword that remained stuck in the ghoul's body.

It was with a sickened sense of pleasure that Neuhaus watched his Naberius begin to squeeze Rin's head.

"AAUUGGH!" Rin screamed and writhed in the tightening grip. The blood rushed to his head, the pounding of his heart deafened him, and he couldn't see. Pain. It hurt! It hurt! He screamed louder as his head was tugged upwards as if the monsterous ghoul was attempting to pull his head right off his neck.

It hurt! Stop it! Stop it!

Rin opened his eyes, staring straight into the decayed palm and screamed once more. His body exploded with blue flames and the Naberius blubbered in pain as its skin bubbled and burnt. Rin pried the fingers from his chest with a strength seemingly too large for his body. He dug his fingers into the ghoul, piercing the flesh as he scaled the demon. The other hands were chasing him as he headed for his sword still impaled in its side.

"Oh no you don't!"

Neuhaus summoned more hands and tried to stop Rin in his path. They tugged at his clothes and hair but the teen kept managing to slip away. Then, one of them grabbed onto Rin's tail and harshly pulled on it. The half-demon's body seized up and he let out a shriek. The blue flames fluctuated and weakened which allowed the other hands to grab hold of him and tug him down into the grass until he had been manhandled into submission.

"Hah... Hahaha..." A quiet chuckle escaped from Neuhaus' throat and the sound carried on for a while more as the older man looked down at the beast before him trembling in pain.  _That's it,_  he thought as he began to walk closer.  _That's it_. This was the sight he'd dreamt of seeing one day. Oh, how he'd longed for this day. For the day he could finally get his revenge. Those blue flames had burned more than his body that night, had burned more than his family—they had burned him down to his own soul, leaving him, the survivor, with a deep hatred that continued burning him from the inside.

Today, the festering wound would finally cauterize.

Thinking that, Neuhaus walked over to his Naberius and pulled out the sword sticking out of it. Trails of black blood—the miasma—splattered with the movement, landing on the grass and on some of Neuhaus' skin. The older man paid no attention to his own injuries. He was devoid of any feeling save for his desire for revenge. He dragged the sword behind him as he walked over to the fallen teen. No sound escaped him until he was standing right above the Son of Satan.

"This is the end for you," he announced as he held the sword against the demon's throat.

Rin stared up at the man, the blade pressing against the skin of his neck. The pain. It hurt so much. He couldn't move. That hand was still gripping and tugging at his tail and no matter what he did, it was like the strength from his body had been sapped. He opened his mouth and let out weak snarls as he tried to struggle but only managed small twitches.

_BLAM!_

A chunk of dirt beside Neuhaus' foot was suddenly kicked up and Shiro cocked his shotgun, leveling the barrel at his fellow teacher's head. The door from which they had entered was half open. In the struggle, no one had even noticed him slip through.

"That was a warning shot." His voice was dangerously low and his aim was steady. "Toss the sword away. Recall your ghouls.  _Now._ "

"You!" Neuhaus' head snapped up in shock. He stared at Shiro, angry and incredulous, but he didn't answer to the threat. His grip merely tightened on the sword in his hand. "What are you doing here?" he demanded.

"Toss the sword away and recall your ghouls!" Shiro shouted, bearing his tone over Neuhaus' as he tightened his grip on his gun. "You want to talk, then you take that blade away from my son's throat!"

"Your son?" Neuhaus sneered at the word. "You call this beast your son? Open your eyes already and look closely! He's an abomination."

Shiro glanced down at Rin who was still struggling and growling quietly. The teen showed no focus in his eyes. But Shiro's jaw was set when he settled his gaze on Neuhaus once more.

"He is my son. And you will remove that sword from his neck." Shiro snarled quietly, lifting the shotgun further as he aimed it at the man's face. "Now. This is your last chance."

"Tch." Neuhaus stared down at the gun, unmoving. He wasn't afraid of death. He was willing to give up his life in order eliminate Satan and his kin. But would this be enough? Who would be quicker—the man holding the gun, or the one holding the sword?

It was only his desire for that certainty, the assurance that he would leave no regrets behind, that caused him to pull the sword away. His ghouls, however, stayed in place. Behind him, the Naberius he had summoned growled as it took a step closer. The hands pinning Rin down didn't loosen either.

"You should not have come. I have no desire to fight against you." The only ones Neuhaus was interested in were the Sons of Satan, particularly this one who had inherited those accursed blue flames. Still... this man, too, was someone he shouldn't take lightly. After all...

"No, perhaps this was for the best," he said softly. "You are a dangerous man that should not be allowed to live either. Sheltering the Sons of Satan... Have you lost your mind? You should've killed them long before now!"

Neuhaus watched Shiro carefully. He held the sword in front of him and ignored the sweat sliding past the side of his face and the blood still trickling down his arms. He was no Knight, but as long as he held this, he still had the upper hand. The beast would not return to normal without it.

"Tell me, Fujimoto Shiro. Explain to me why I should allow either of you to leave here alive."

"Tch." Shiro sneered, showing his teeth. The wrinkles on his forehead seemed to double. "Neuhaus. I know what you've been through. I know why you want to kill him and hell I could see why you'd want to kill me. But killing us won't bring them back. So call back your damn ghouls. There's no more negotiation in this."

Neuhaus' eye narrowed. "Do you take me for a fool?" Bringing them back was impossible. He, of all people, knew that. It was because of that that he needed to go through with this!

"That is hardly a negotiation, much less reason enough for me to leave things as they are. So I'll try to reason with you instead." Neuhaus' animosity hid behind the cold gaze he gave the older man. His arms were beginning to ache, but he didn't move an inch from his position as he spoke.

"I don't know the details behind your decision to take them in, nor do I care to hear them. If you felt some sort of misplaced obligation towards them, or if you were drawn into a shady deal, it matters little now. What is clear is that you have become attached to these abominations. Your expression is far too honest when it comes to them." A slight grimace of disgust crossed Neuhaus' face, but he continued on in the same cool tone. "In that case, if you care of them as your... sons, grant them this release now. Do it... before Satan takes a hold of you too."

"You and I are different in that regard. Satan will  _never_  take hold of me. Not for as long as I live," Shiro growled. But as he opened his mouth to repeat his demand, the situation changed.

Neuhaus' focus had shifted to the Paladin and the barrel of his shotgun. As a result, the hands that held Rin down had loosened their grip. Rin's tail slipped free from the rotten fingers.

The half-demon let out a roar as his strength returned to him and the flames on his body flared up to drive the hands away from him. His eyes were as wild as before, but this time they focused on the man holding his sword. The man who had threatened his life. He snarled and lunged.

"Rin,  _no!_ "

Several things happened at once, but for Rin, only one thing was definitive. There was something in the way. Something blocked his path to Neuhaus. Rin thrashed as two strong arms wrapped around him and he dug his nails into the body against him, ripping fabric, ripping flesh.

The grunt in his ear was familiar.

Rin froze. His breathing quickened as memories of so long ago rushed through his mind. First grade. He was so angry. They wouldn't leave Yukio alone. They were hurting him. He couldn't stop himself.

"... D...a...d?" Rin turned his head slowly away from Neuhaus to look at the body he was pressed up against and then at his father's face half hidden in his shoulder. "Dad…!" He gasped, his irises rounding as his breathing quickened in pace.

"Shh…" The arms around Rin curled tighter. "It's alright. It's going to be alright," Shiro whispered in his ear.

Neuhaus, who in the scuffle had stumbled back with poor timing and fallen to the ground, stared at the scene before him in shock. The flames surrounding Rin had dimmed, and in response, the flames coating the sword in his hand receded too. There was only a faint blue glow that remained on the blade now, but it, too, was dulled over by the blood that now stained it—Shiro's blood.

His mind tried to wrap around what had happened. Why had this man gotten in the way? After everything Neuhaus had said and done... Why had he…?

Neuhaus stared at the two, but his eye focused on his student's painfully familiar expression. It was the face he saw in the mirror whenever he thought of what he had done—of what he had been forced to do to his family. Shiro's soft whispers reached his ears. The tender sight before him was truly unpleasant.

A loud growl broke him out of his daze. The ghoul standing a foot away from them was already reacting. It was bound by its master's will to protect Neuhaus from harm, and now, it was swinging its arm down towards the two people in front of him.

"Stop!" Neuhaus' voice rang out clearly. The command was uttered almost too late, but the effect was instant. It was as if the entire clearing froze in time. The Naberius' hand hovered in place. Its thick fingers had nearly closed around Shiro and Rin who had stiffened in their embrace. Only the timely wind that blew by disturbed the stillness of this scene as the grass beneath them bent under its force. Blood dripped into the floor, seeping into the ground.

Rin stood still, his face shoved into Shiro's chest by his father's strong hand, as the ghoul backed off. His heart was pounding loudly in his ears. He'd blacked out again. He had lost control. He didn't know what had happened but people were hurt and it was all his fault.

Even when he lifted his head, he could see his face reflected in his father's glasses. He didn't look even remotely human.

Rin stepped back, the blue flames still burning gently at his fingertips. His eyes travelled down to the rips at Shiro's sides and the blood dripping down his arm, through the black coat. He looked behind him towards the battered Neuhaus, arms covered with self-inflicted wounds.

"Why…?" Rin's hands tightened into fists, his eyes wide and filled with fear and panic. "Why are you after me?! Why are you doing this?!"

Why?

Neuhaus stared at Rin with an unreadable expression. The answer was simple. It had always been simple... until now. He didn't want to acknowledge it, but he couldn't deny it either. The face staring back at him caused conflict inside of him. The afterimage of the boy's demonic expression was still visible in his mind's eye, but the lost look he now had in his eyes showed a side of him Neuhaus hadn't wanted to face. In the end, Okumura Rin was just a child.

_"He is my son."_

His fingers loosened and the sword in his hand fell to the ground.

"I am a survivor of the Blue Night," Neuhaus said quietly, staring straight into those desperately lost blue eyes. He paid no mind to the priest standing between them. It wasn't for his sake that he was speaking. "For a moment, Satan possessed my body, and I was forced to kill my family with my own hands. I will never forgive Satan for that, nor the rest of his kin," he said, inwardly grateful that that familiar anger still colored his words.

Mindful of his injuries, Neuhaus slowly got up to his feet. His gaze remained steady on Rin; a part of him was wary, and perhaps hopeful, that the scene before him was an illusion that was on the brink of shattering.

One day, he might find out that it was.

"You are a danger," Neuhaus continued, feeling no need to hold back now after everything he had already done. "I would be doing us all a favor by getting rid of you here, but..." A self-deprecating smile crossed his lips. The drive to kill the one he had called an abomination felt out of reach. Neuhaus raised one of his hands and stared at it. Blood trickled down his fingers. He closed his eye and let his arm fall back to his side.

"Cling onto every last bit of humanity you may possess, Okumura Rin. Cling onto it if you want to survive, but be aware that doing that won't be enough. There will be others like me, others who will not be as merciful. Be prepared."

With those words, Neuhaus turned away. He walked towards the summoning circle he'd made with a slow, unsteady pace, and after breaking the circle that kept his Naberius bound to this world, he disappeared off into the woods without further word.

There was a silence hanging over them. Even the forest seemed unnaturally quiet. The only sounds were the soft crackling of Rin's flames. Neuhaus' words rattled around in his head, clashing and crashing until it was all he could think about. Rin was a danger. He knew that fact very well. Even now, looking at his hands, he knew. His nails were pointed like beastly claws and the flames danced on his skin quite contentedly.

But then, right before his eyes, his hands returned to normal and the flames disappeared with a soft  _whoosh!_  Rin looked up to see Shiro with the sheathed Kurikara in his hand. His coat was ripped at his upper arm and he could see blood dripping off his fingers. This was all his fault…

"Dad…" Rin's voice was soft as his father turned to him. "I'm sorr-"

"Don't." Shiro walked over and placed a firm hand on the back of his neck. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"Yes I did!" Rin shook his head and backed away. Shiro furrowed his brow and let him go. "I'm… I'm always doing this and now it's just worse! Nothing's changed! I'm still the same as I always was! No matter what anyone says, Neuhaus-sensei was right! I'm a danger to people and I'd be better off dea-"

"Don't you dare, Rin!" His father's voice was loud and booming and the words died in his throat. Shiro looked… furious. Rin had never seen his dad so angry. "Don't you dare finish that sentence!" he continued, his jaw set and eyes strong. It was like the wounds never existed in the first place. Rin watched as his father looked down, his lips thinning and frustration clear in the tension in his shoulders.

"Dad I…" I'm sorry? Rin closed his mouth. What else could he say?

"No, Rin. I'm sorry."

Rin's eyes snapped back up at his father as Shiro released a deep sigh.

"I thought the best way to protect you was to keep you from your flames entirely. But that is clearly not the case." Shiro walked over to his son and grabbed the sword sleeve off his shoulder. "It's going to be alright. I have a few more apologies to make but… we're going to fix this." He slid the Kurikara into the sleeve and handed it back to his son who was still staring up at him numbly.

"... How?" Rin croaked, feeling more lost than he had in a while.

"I don't know yet," Shiro admitted. But then he placed on a wide grin that seemed to relax Rin almost immediately. "You just leave it up to your old man. I'll figure something out. This old brain is still useful for something." He took out his key ring and twirled it on his finger. "Now let's head back. Yukio and Ryuuji-kun are beside themselves with worry. You've been gone a while."

Rin's eyes widened. He'd forgotten about them! He quickly placed the Kurikara back on his shoulder and took out his phone.

_[32 New Messages | 28 Missed Calls]_

"Crap…" Rin covered his face.

Using the key to the cram school, Shiro and Rin entered familiar intricately decorated hallways.

"Rin, you go back to the dorm." Shiro took out his phone with his good hand and frowned. "It shouldn't be too dark. I have some things to take care of."

"Wait a second, what about your arm?" Rin frowned. "You have to get a doctor to look at you!"

Shiro turned to him and smiled. "Don't worry. The infirmary is one of my stops. You just head right on back home before Ryuuji-kun pops a blood vessel worrying about you." He pocketed his phone and ruffled Rin's hair in that familiar way.

But Rin didn't complain. He just looked at his father with a furrowed brow. He was acting strange… but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. It would be best if he listened anyway. He'd already caused enough trouble. "Okay," he muttered and pushed open the door.

The walk to the dorm was long and tense. Rin felt strangely empty. Neuhaus' words were more muffled now in his mind but they were still there. What stuck out to him most was his teacher's gaze and how powerful it was. How stern. How desperate and angry. He'd never seen anyone look at him like that. The creases on his forehead multiplied and he fidgeted with the beads on his wrist, thankful that they hadn't been burned or ruined by the attack.

Rin stood outside the dorm and stared at the mala thoughtfully. Why… weren't they burned? He could remember blurred flashes of demons bursting into blue flames, burning to a crisp. So then… why not this? Maybe Ryuuji would know.

He hurried towards the dorm's front entrance and turned the knob. The door creaked like usual as he pulled it open and he was barely a step inside before he was ambushed.

"R-Rin!"

Upon hearing his entrance, Ryuuji's head had immediately snapped towards Rin. The taller teen had been pacing down the hallway in worry. Yukio was still upstairs with a bedridden Shima, but Ryuuji hadn't been able to sit still with them. Konekomaru, who didn't want to let his friend out of sight, had joined him, and he'd been sitting on the floor nearby with his arms crossed over his knees. Now, he was sitting up straight and staring at Rin. The younger teen looked initially relieved, then concerned as he took in Rin's appearance.

Ryuuji was the first to voice what was going on through their heads.

"Rin, what—what the hell happened to you?!" the tall teen spluttered as he stared at his best friend's disheveled appearance. Rin's clothes were in tatters. His jacket had ripped at the seams and there were dark, burnt splotches scattered throughout the rest of his clothes.

 _That's miasma_ , Ryuuji recognized with a jolt.

"Are you okay?" Konekomaru asked, eyes wide behind his glasses. He'd realized the same thing.

Rin looked down at himself, only just noticing the state he was in. He looked back up at Ryuuji, his mouth open and his eyes wide and slightly frantic, especially after glancing towards Konekomaru just a few steps behind.

"It's… uh…" Rin struggled to come up with a proper story. He pulled the jacket closed, trying to hide the spots of miasma that had already been seen. He couldn't say that Neuhaus attacked him. Konekomaru would certainly ask for the reason and if he told him… Who knew how he'd react?  _C'mon, come up with something!_

That's when Rin remembered a long time ago, a girl had fainted in the middle of an oral report in middle school. She'd been sent to the nurse and she didn't have to repeat the presentation. They courteously allowed an exception. Would this work?

"I'm… I'm not… feeling too good…" Rin covered his face, doing his best to keep his tone soft and weak.

Ryuuji spent far too much time with Rin to be fooled by the act but he quickly caught on to what the other was doing. If this had been any other occassion, Ryuuji would've poked fun at Rin for even trying this. Instead, a more unpleasant realization hit him.

The miasma. The ghouls. Neuhaus-sensei.

...was that blood, on Rin's sleeve?

"K-Konekomaru, go get help!" Ryuuji closed the distance between them quickly. His towering build served to block Rin from Konekomaru's sight, but the younger boy had already seen enough. "Tell Yukio Rin's here. I'll take him to the infirmary. You guys can meet us there," he said brusquely.

"R-Right!"

There was a moment of hesitance—it was clear that Konekomaru was still trying to register everything he had seen, but it wasn't long before he was taking off, heading up the stairs with quick steps.

With him gone, Ryuuji focused the rest of his attention back to Rin. His hands grabbed onto the other's shoulders, closing the last barrier of distance between them. He gave him a short once-over and tried to calm the unease that had shot up inside of him.

"Are you bleedin'?!" he hissed, glancing at Rin's sleeve again. "Rin, look at me. What did that bastard do to you?!"

A sigh of relief left Rin's lips as Konekomaru disappeared. "It's… It's not my blood," he whispered, moving back to tug his jacket closed. "Sensei, he… He told me Dad was injured and led me off to the forest using one of those keys. Then he attacked me and I pulled out the sword because he said he was gonna go after Yukio and…" Rin took a deep breath but the exhale was shaky and stunted. "I-I blacked out again… I don't… know what happened but next thing I knew I was… attacking and… I couldn't stop and my  _Dad_  he-"

As Ryuuji listened to Rin speak, the unease inside of him grew even more until the cold sensation had completely filled his lungs. His chest heaved with anger, then fear. He felt his breath shorten.

_"I blacked out again..."_

Ryuuji thought of Rin's fevered blue eyes, of the way his hands bunched up against his shirt last night as he begged senselessly for his key.

_He opened the Kurikara. That means..._

For a moment, Ryuuji felt a phantom heat brush up against the skin of his arms. He met Rin's eyes, caught the distress in them, and immediately scolded himself.

 _What am I thinking?_ he thought, drawing some of the fury he felt for Neuhaus towards himself. Rin was distraught and all he was thinking of was—

He pulled Rin into a hug. "It's okay. You're okay now," he whispered roughly as his arms tightened around the other's neck. Rin didn't need to explain anything else right now. Ryuuji had heard enough.

Rin held tightly onto his friend, feeling a trembling in his shoulders. Every time he closed his eyes he could see his father's bloody arm and Neuhaus' intense glare. So he just stared into the shirt in front of him.

"Ryuuji... It's my dad's blood," Rin whispered with a wavering breath. "I... I attacked him when he came to save me."

Ryuuji's eyes widened. He froze in place, then tightened his grip on the other.

"He's okay, right?" Rin's short nod was an unending source of relief. Ryuuji's shoulders fell back down to a resting position as the tension inside him slowly trickled away.

"D-Don't worry about it then, okay?" It was hard to, but after a few more seconds, Ryuuji pulled away so he could stare at Rin's face. His best friend's distress hadn't died down.

"Sensei knows what he's doing, so I'm sure he'll take care of this," he said, trying to calm him. "He was already lookin' into what to do about the Kurikara, so it's gonna be okay. This ain't gonna happen again."

Rin nodded softly. Ryuuji was right. His father was tough and there was no need to worry about him. Especially with such a small wound. Still, the memory of his blood dripping down his fingers was a hard one to get rid of. And of course his father was going to figure out what to do with his flames and his sword. He'd said so just minutes ago.

Rin stopped. His eyebrows furrowed and the tension returned as he looked up at Ryuuji. How did he know about what his Dad had said? There was no possible way... His thoughts returned to before the attack and he remembered that Ryuuji was hiding something. He still felt shaky from the attack but now was as good a time as any.

"What?" he whispered, his voice not at the strength he would have liked but it would have to do. "What... What are you talking about? What about the sword?"

"Uh." Ryuuji's eyes widened as he belatedly registered what he had just said. His mistake caused him to look away shamefaced, but a part of him was relieved that he would finally be able to talk to Rin about what had been happening. "About that-"

"Nii-san!" Yukio hurried down the stairs, Konekomaru right behind him. "Nii-san, are you alright?" He moved beside Ryuuji, almost elbowing his way past.

"I-I'm fine. Don't worry so much, Yukio." Rin placed a smile on his lips but Yukio's own thinned.

"Come on. Let's get you cleaned up. Father already texted me." Yukio glanced at Ryuuji as he took Rin's wrist. "Standing here in the doorway won't get you better."

"Alright alright, I'm going, jeez." Rin twisted his hand out of his brother's grip and, with a final glance towards Ryuuji, followed his brother up the stairs. They were out of sight within seconds.

"What were you guys still doing down here?" Konekomaru asked, glancing at Ryuuji from the last step of the stairs. The short teen was frowning, and his expressions grew more troubled when his friend didn't answer.

"Bon, what's going on? Did Rin-kun tell you what happened?"

Ryuuji's lips pressed together in frustration. Why couldn't they have showed up just a couple of minutes later? Suddenly, he felt exhausted and the lingering irritation he felt—at himself, at the situation—only made him feel worse. He tried to school his expression when he turned around, but he found himself avoiding Konekomaru's eyes. He looked down, straight at the steps, as he tried to walk past him. "It's nothin'. C'mon, let's follow them."

Ryuuji only managed to get two steps up before Konekomaru grabbed onto his sleeve and held him back. "Bon…!" The shorter teen stared up at Ryuuji with a furrowed expression. Ryuuji stiffened in place but didn't turn around.

"I'm worried about him too!" Konekomaru reminded him in a scolding tone. "Don't just keep whatever's going on to yourself!"

"I-I'm not!" Ryuuji swallowed down his guilt and forced himself to look at his friend. He felt sick to his stomach by how steady his voice was when he spoke next. "I don't know what happened," he lied. He tried to make himself feel better by remembering that he didn't, in fact, know all the details. "All I know is that Rin got attacked and that Sensei's takin' care of things. So,  _c'mon_ ," he insisted. He held Konekomaru's gaze for a while longer, and something in his expression must have been convincing because soon enough the shorter teen was letting go of his sleeve and nodding meekly.

"Let's go," Ryuuji said quietly as he averted his eyes once more. The two of them headed up the stairs without saying another word, keeping a small distance between them. It was only when they were nearing the infirmary that Konekomaru broke the silence.

"Bon… I'm sorry about that."

There was a small beat before Ryuuji shook his head. "No, it's fine..." he said without looking back.

 _The one who's sorry is me_ , he thought, resigned.  _I'm sorry, but I can't tell ya a single thing._


	43. July 3, 2009

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick shoutout regarding updates for those who didn't see the authors note we left in Forever Yours. Updates will be a little slower this month because leezzee is participating in NaNo. As always, thanks for reading and commenting! Hope you enjoy today's chapter!

"Eins, zwei, drei~!"

There was a popping sound, and then a large banner fell down from the ceiling. Mephisto had a manic grin as he addressed Shiro's students.

"You all passed! Congratulations, Exwires!" their Principal announced.

Ryuuji felt the words wash over him. Had this happened on a different day, under different circumstances, he might have felt excitement and pride bubble up in his chest. Instead, the teen barely showed a reaction. While his classmates all cheered around him, all Ryuuji could muster up was a small smile which faltered as quickly as it had risen. The empty seat beside him constantly reminded him of the empty bed he had woken up to this morning. The empty bed he had fallen asleep next to last night.

It felt weird not having Rin by his side.

Lost as he was in his thoughts, Ryuuji barely caught wind of Mephisto's promise to treat them all to monjayaki when they were all healed up, much less of his grand exit. It was not until Konekomaru was resting his hand on the taller teen's shoulder that Ryuuji snapped out of his thoughts.

"Bon?" Konekomaru had a knowing look in his eyes. "Class is over," the shorter boy informed him softly.

Ryuuji looked around and realized the room had cleared out. Only Shiemi remained, lingering in the doorway and looking their way. She gave Ryuuji a small, shy smile when their eyes met.

"Ah. Right." Ryuuji stood up. He picked up his bag and willed himself not to stare at the empty seat beside him. "We headin' back to the dorm then?"

"Actually, Moriyama-san said she wanted to stop by her place to pick up some medicine. For Shima-san and Paku-san," Konekomaru clarified as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "I offered to go with her, but you should go on ahead, Bon."

Shiemi nodded from the doorway. Nii clung onto her blonde hair which bounced along with the movement. "Fujimoto-sensei said Rin was doing okay... but I think I'll bring extra, just in case," she said, looking worried.

"He's still in the infirmary, right?" Konekomaru asked.

"Ah, yeah." Though Ryuuji said as much, he wasn't actually sure whether that was true or not. He hadn't texted Rin today, nor had he received any texts from his best friend. "He'll… probably be out by the time we head back. I bet he's been sleeping all day," he said.

"It looks like you could use some sleep too," Konekomaru noted, frowning. "Did you manage to get any rest at all last night?"

Ryuuji didn't hesitate to nod even though he'd barely slept a wink. "I'm fine."

Konekomaru let the issue drop. "Alright... Well, take it easy and go check up on Rin-kun when you're back at the dorm. We'll see you guys later." The shorter boy joined Shiemi at the doorway and the two said their goodbyes to Ryuuji before leaving.

"See ya..."

Ryuuji let out a sigh after the two were gone. He gave one last glance at the seat beside him, Rin's seat, before finally exiting the room. The walk back to the dorm was a very slow one.

After leaving his shoes at the entrance, Ryuuji made his way up to Rin's room. A part of him knew that he wasn't going to find his best friend there, but nevertheless, he went. He was stalling, he knew that. For all that he had missed his best friend, there was still a part of him that felt nervous about speaking with him. He wondered what was going on in Rin's mind. Had Shiro spoken to him already about what had been happening this week? Ryuuji didn't know what to expect. He didn't know what would happen once he saw Rin.

He wished they had gotten a chance to speak yesterday, when they'd still been in the middle of things. He hadn't gotten the chance to say another word to Rin after they had been interrupted. Yukio had locked the door to the infirmary by the time Ryuuji and Konekomaru had made their way up there, and when their teacher finally showed up, he had immediately ushered the two teens off to bed. Though Ryuuji tried to protest against this, Shiro had been firm, and the teen hadn't been able to argue further.

Now, as he stood in front of the door of the infirmary, he wished he had.

Ignoring the butterflies fluttering anxiously in his stomach, the teen finally forced himself to go in. Immediately, the sight of Rin sitting up in bed greeted him.

"Hey," Ryuuji said as soon as he closed the door behind him. The teen stood by it motionlessly as he stared at Rin for a couple of seconds. He was glad to see him doing better. There wasn't a trace of the injuries he had yesterday left on him. Ryuuji was relieved, but the feeling was somewhat muted. "You weren't in class today," he said quietly. His eyes dropped as he took a few steps closer to the other.

"Yeah, Dad said it wasn't a good idea for me to go," Rin muttered, looking down at the sheets. "He said if I showed up without injuries after last night, it'd be kinda suspicious." His lips curled slightly. Even though that's what his dad had said, something had felt wrong about those words. Still, he hadn't put up much of a fight after what had happened. He'd felt off all day, really. Rin thought it was because Ryuuji wasn't with him. He'd grown used to having his best friend at his side this whole week, but now that he was there... He thought that having Ryuuji back would be an improvement to his mood, not a detriment.

Rin hadn't been able to stop thinking about that moment before Yukio interrupted them. There was still a fear of something in his heart and he wanted to know what it was. Ryuuji was keeping something from him, something about the Kurikara. Rin glanced at the sword that was leaning up against his bedside table before looking down at his lap. But maybe Ryuuji was keeping it from him for a reason? In that case, should he even try to find out why? It was the circle he'd been running in his head all night and all day. He still hadn't found a solution.

"How was class?" The utterly normal question felt almost robotic on his tongue.

Ryuuji tried to remember what had happened in today's lessons but he kept drawing a blank. "Well... we passed the exam." Now that he was in front of Rin's bed, it took some courage to lift his gaze, but the butterflies in his stomach multiplied as he realized Rin wasn't looking at him.

"Yeah? That's a relief." Rin looked up to offer Ryuuji a smile, but his eyes were still avoiding his face, resting instead on his shoulder. "So… that means we're Exwires now, right?"

"Yeah..." Ryuuji's response lacked in enthusiasm and as he trailed off an awkward silence ensued. Neither of the two knew how to breach the subject that had been weighing on their minds all day. Had Ryuuji been the type of person to do so, he would've shuffled on his feet at the impasse. Instead, his fists tightened at his sides as he tried to put his thoughts together.

"Rin... Look, about what I said yesterday... there's somethin' I need to tell ya." Ryuuji's brow gained a few wrinkles as his eyebrows sank down to the bridge of his nose. He stared fixedly at a spot on Rin's bed as he struggled to find the right words. "The other night... No, for the past week, the reason I've been so tired is 'cause I haven't been sleepin' well. You've… you've been wakin' up in the middle of the night, every night. 'Cept, you weren't… you." The teen's gaze trailed towards where the Kurikara was resting. "Sort of," he added softly as he remembered the few moments of coherence he'd caught out of his best friend during these episodes.

Rin was shocked when Ryuuji began talking so easily. He was finally able to look up at his face, just in time to catch the stare towards his sword. Rin's brow mirrored his friend's as it furrowed in confusion. "What're you talkin' about? I haven't been waking up."

"Ya  _have_. You've been at it all week! Ya just don't remember it," Ryuuji insisted, sounding frustrated over the fact. He met Rin's eyes and held his stare, hoping that would help convince the other. The truth poured out of his lips and felt like a release. "You've been tryin' to get to the Kurikara in your sleep," he explained. "After I figured that out, I told Sensei, and he's been holdin' on to the Key of Vanishment during the nights so we could keep it away from ya."

"My dad?" Rin felt the confusion settle in more firmly than before. He looked at his sword as if hoping that it would hold an explanation for all this information that had been dumped on him with practically no warning, but, of course, it just sat there innocently.

Though… The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Ryuuji was so tired lately. His friend never looked tired. He was always raring to go in the mornings and all day like the rooster he was. Rin looked back at him and eyed the dark bags under his eyes. Had he really been waking Ryuuji up at night? Had he been making him worry like this? He felt a frustration smolder deeply in his chest.

"This… This is what you've been keeping from me?" He clenched his fists and his jaw set with his returning headstrong nature. "This kinda stuff has been happening and you've been keeping it all to yourself!?"

Ryuuji looked away. "I wanted to tell ya…"

"Then why didn't you!?" Rin sat straighter, glaring now at the taller teen. "We promised we wouldn't keep this kinda stuff from each other! We promised that no matter what, if something was wrong, we'd tell each other!"

Ryuuji flinched at the words that he himself had been mulling over all week. His blunt nails dug into his palms, but even though he knew Rin's anger was justified—even though he knew he deserved that anger—a part of him couldn't help but bristle. Something that had been slowly bubbling up inside of him for longer than he realized was threatening to burst.

"I know that." Ryuuji tried to keep calm, but he couldn't. He gritted his teeth and tried to cling onto his temper, but that bubbling feeling inched forward until he couldn't hold it back anymore. "I said I wanted to tell ya, didn't I? I wanted to, but it ain't that simple!" A noise of frustration escaped his throat. "Sensei said it was for the best, alright?! He said it was to protect you! That's why I couldn't say a thing!"

The fear was back. That frustrating realization that he didn't know how to help his best friend seized his heart and clouded over his mind. It was his desire to protect Rin that had motivated Ryuuji to keep quiet. It was the only thing he knew he was capable of doing. That's why...

"It's not like I liked keepin' this from ya! Ya know I hate lyin'! But if I gotta keep sneakin' around to keep ya safe, then that's what I'll do! What other choice do I got?!"

Dad? Dad again? Why?  _Why?_  Rin felt himself at the ends of his wits. He stood up from the bed, his tail falling out of his untucked shirt with wild, agitated motions. Rin's sharp teeth were bared. "What do you mean what other choice?!" He grabbed Ryuuji by the front of his shirt. "I dunno how many times I gotta tell you! I'm not a damn princess! I can help! If something's going on with me, don't you think it's a good idea to tell me about it?! I don't care what the old man said!" He gripped tighter to the cloth and yanked Ryuuji close, almost banging their foreheads together. "I trusted  _you!_ "

"Then keep doin' it!" Rin's words stung, but Ryuuji brushed them aside for now. He needed to make his best friend understand. "Sensei knows what he's doin'! He's kept you safe all this time, hasn't he?!"

"This isn't about him!" Rin shouted. "The old man kept secrets from me my whole life and so did Yukio! But you were always the one that never lied to me! You always told me how it was and you didn't leave anything out! I don't want that to change, Ryuuji! I don't want anymore secrets!" His fists trembled as he gripped tightly to the white shirt. "If something's wrong, we tell each other and figure it out together! Because that's what friends do, right?!"

Rin felt the hypocrisy of his words as soon as he spoke them. Konekomaru, Shiemi, and Shima. They were all his friends and yet they didn't know his biggest secret. He didn't tell them because his father and brother told him not to and they had told Ryuuji the same thing.

And Rin was scared of what they would think of him.

Rin's tail lowered and his hands loosened on his friend's shirt. He was silent for a moment, debating his next words but a quick decision threw the debate out the window.

"No more secrets." Rin shook his head and looked at Ryuuji with a fiery determination. "We have to tell them. Konekomaru, Shiemi, and Renzou!"

 _What?!_ Ryuuji gaped at the words and stared at Rin incredulously. "Are ya crazy? We can't!" As much as it would ease his conscience to let his friends in on the secret, Ryuuji knew it was a dangerous idea.

"We have to!" Rin insisted. "'Sides, we can trust them, right? So what's the big deal?!"

"Th- The big deal? Are ya listenin' to yerself!? Of course it's a big deal! Don't ya get it?!" The threat of Rin's execution hung over Ryuuji's head. If the Order found out who he was, they would kill him. Yukio had confirmed this. That's why they had to keep Rin's secret safe! Why couldn't Rin understand that?

"The more people know, the more you're at risk. You could die, Rin!" The mere thought was making Ryuuji shake. He grabbed onto Rin's wrist tightly and tried to make him understand. "You could  _die._  There's no way I'm lettin' that happen!" he shouted.

Rin winced but his resolve didn't waver. His tail bristled behind him as he grit his teeth. "You really think they'll turn me in?" He clenched the fist that was caught in Ryuuji's firm grip. "You really think that?"

Ryuuji didn't answer right away. The question nagged him. It wasn't as if he hadn't thought about this before, but he never liked to dwell on the possibilities. Now that Rin was the one asking, however, he couldn't put it off anymore. Honestly, Ryuuji had to admit that a part of him  _was_  afraid that their friends would end up making the wrong choice. He didn't want to think badly of them, but so much had been lost in the Blue Night. He knew that if the rest of the Myou Dha found out, things would certainly get out of control.

But... these were his friends. Their friends. Rin wasn't a stranger.

"...No," Ryuuji finally answered, voice low and shoulders falling limp. There were so many things that needed to be considered. This wasn't a decision that could be made lightly. But the fight had drained out of him. One thing, at least, was certain to him. "They wouldn't do that."

"Then?" Rin bit his lip lightly. He looked at his friend's haggard and tired expression and felt the worry bubble up at his throat. "Let's do it. I know you hate lying and all this lying is killing you. We shouldn't be keeping secrets from each other in the first place. Friends are supposed to share our troubles, right? We're supposed to help each other. And even if…" Rin swallowed, his throat turning dry at the possibilities. "Even if they get angry or something because of who I am, we'll make them understand. I know you'll be there to defend me and they'll listen to you."

Rin's honest desire, his faith in him and their friends, left Ryuuji unable to say anything else. The fear he'd felt only moments ago became muted as he was caught by his best friend's imploring gaze. An unidentified emotion swelled in his chest then. Rin's steadfast trust in him broke the last barrier that had been holding Ryuuji back. He bowed his head and tightened his grip on Rin's wrist a little more, not wanting to let go. He felt the other's pulse thrum steadily beneath his touch and it gave him the courage to say the words Rin had been waiting to hear.

"Okay," Ryuuji whispered heavily. Then, in a stronger voice he said, "Let's tell them."

Rin's tail perked up in tandem with his expression brightening. But before he could say a word, a stronger, sterner voice sounded from the door.

"Tell who what?" Yukio shut the door behind him and turned the lock. His brow was furrowed and his lip was curled into a tight sneer.

"Yukio!" Rin looked towards his brother, his tail falling a bit. Ryuuji, shocked by his sudden appearance, let go of Rin and faced Yukio with a wary expression. He could already predict the upcoming argument.

"Listen, we're gonna tell Konekomaru, Shiemi, and Renzou about me. We can trust them," Rin said without preamble.

"Absolutely not!" Yukio hissed immediately. "Are you insane?!"

Ryuuji held back the wince Yukio's vehemence caused. That hadn't been the best way to announce it. He tried to smooth things over by explaining their decision.

"Look, we were just thinkin' that-"

"You obviously weren't thinking!" The younger Okumura interrupted him mercilessly. "This isn't some high school gossip secret! This is life or death for Nii-san!" He aimed his glare at Ryuuji and growled. "I'm sick of you placing Nii-san in danger with your rash decisions!"

"Hey, back off, Yukio!" Rin stepped forward with a glare to match. "This was my idea!"

"A testament to how idiotic it is! Do either of you understand the kind of situation you're putting yourselves in?!" Yukio clenched his fists.

Next to Rin, Ryuuji reciprocated the action. "We're takin' this seriously just as much as you are," he protested firmly. "We know it might be risky, but they're our friends. We shouldn't be keepin' secrets from them. Look, ya oughta know Shima better than us. Do ya really think he'd turn on us?"

Yukio's shoulders tensed. "I don't know that for sure. Ren-kun is decent but that doesn't mean I'm willing to gamble that on my brother's life! You know what the Blue Night did! You know what it left behind and what it took away! Don't you think people would be affected by this once you tell them?!"

"But that's-"  _not my fault…!_  Rin looked stricken. Of course he'd thought about it. Of course he'd anticipated it! But he wouldn't be alone this time. They could talk it out. This was already getting out of hand. Yukio's trembling fists in front of him and Ryuuji's strong ones at his side. He felt like a rope in a horrible game of tug of war. "Yukio, just hear me out." He took a step forward, trying to keep his voice calm.

"No! I've heard enough!" The glare behind his glasses was fierce. "Father and I kept you a secret to keep you safe and alive. But you want to ruin that for a group of people who might not even care about you in two years time!"

"Yukio!" Rin's fingers tightened.

"There's nothing more to be said besides the fact that your idiocy and naivety is going to kill you!" Yukio growled.

"Listen to what yer sayin'! You don't really believe that, do ya?" Ryuuji snapped, unable to take Yukio's attitude over this issue anymore.

The more they argued, the more the older teen was beginning to realize how wrong Yukio's words sounded. Though only moments ago, he'd been hesitating over this matter, now he was sure that Rin had been right after all. They were their friends and that wasn't going to change any time soon. It _wasn't_. Keeping this from them for two more years was the only thing that was going to strain their relationship. It couldn't go on.

"We hafta tell 'em. Better they find out from us than some other way!"

"They're not supposed to find out at all!" Yukio snapped. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. "Father should be finishing up a meeting and returning soon." He flipped open the phone and began typing quickly with his thumb. "If I can't knock some sense into you, God knows he will."

"You're overreacting!" Rin moved forward and grabbed his brother by the arm. "You're making this a bigger deal than it needs to be!"

"Overreacting?" Yukio narrowed his eyes at the hand on his arm before he sent the text and shut the phone. "If one wrong person hears about who you are, if one little detail slips to the wrong ears, you will  _die._ "

"You don't think I know that?!" The half-demon tightened his grip on his brother. "I know the kind of situation I'm in! I know what's going on!"

"Then why are you stupidly gambling your life?!" Yukio opened his mouth to continue before he closed it again and yanked at his arm, trying to pull it out of his brother's hold. "We'll wait until Father gets here. I don't want to hear anymore from you."

It took another insistent yank before Rin released Yukio's arm with a frown. Ryuuji ran a stressed hand through the back of his hair as he watched them, but he didn't know what else to say himself. Feeling more exhausted than ever, he sat down at the edge of the nearest bed and beckoned Rin over. The three teens waited in silence for Shiro to arrive.

Yukio didn't move from his spot in front of the door for the seven minutes it took for their father to knock. He quickly unlocked it and opened his mouth but before he could make a single sound, Shiro held up a halting hand. Yukio stayed silent. The man walked in and shut the door behind him. He sat on bed across from Rin and Ryuuji and looked at them, probing them with his gaze.

He sighed heavily.

"Tell me what's going on," he said, leaning his elbows on his knees. Rin immediately inhaled.

"We want to tell Konekomaru, Shiemi, and Renzou about me."

"No," came Shiro's stern word without missing a single beat.   


Ryuuji was instantly disheartened by this dismissal, but Rin's words were still ringing strongly in his head. "W… Would it really be so bad to tell them?" He felt the urge to look down at his knees as he spoke, but he met Shiro's eyes firmly, strengthening his resolve. "They're our friends," he said quietly, "and we should be able to trust them. We can't keep this up forever."   


“It doesn’t matter whether they’re friends or not.” Shiro’s gaze did not move from Ryuuji’s. “This secret is too much of a risk. A lot of people hang in the balance and Rin is right at the center.”   


“But it’s just those three!” Rin protested, “They’re our friends and I know that they won’t-“   


“No you don’t.” Shiro’s tone was exasperated. “You don’t know for sure. You don’t know anything until it happens and I’m not prepared to risk your life on a possibility.”   


Ryuuji’s fists clenched in frustration as he heard the same argument they all kept going over reared its head again. "He's already at risk!" he insisted exasperatedly. "Sensei... The way things are goin’, keepin’ all this a secret will be impossible. Rin'll have to go on overnight missions eventually—“   


“Exwires don’t go on overnight missions.” Shiro’s expression twisted momentarily into a scowl before he pinched his nose and brought it back to impassiveness.    


“I’m not gonna be an Exwire forever!” Rin’s posture tensed as his voice rose. Why didn’t they want to understand?   


Ryuuji gave Rin a brief glance of concern before turning to address Shiro again. He met the man’s eyes again, feeling confident about their current line of thought.   


“We won’t be able to keep this up forever,” Ryuuji repeated. “Even if we all agreed to, this thing’s too huge of a secret to keep hidden indefinitely. Ya weren’t able to keep it from Rin, teachers already know. It’s gonna get out at some point to the rest.” Ryuuji’s chin rose. “Wouldn’t it be better to be prepared, to know who we can count on to have our backs? I trust Shima and Konekomaru.”   


“Me too! And Shiemi as well!” Rin’s voice was sure and loud. “Wasn’t it you who said we’re a team? We help each other out and take responsibility for each other. We can’t do this alone! We need help!”   


Shiro tensed and he went silent, staring at the two of them. It stretched. It hung in the room like a thick fog and no one was willing to break it for a few, long seconds.    


Finally, he sighed and he looked down with a tense smirk and a twitch of his brow. “You two… are definitely more formidable together.”   


At once, both Rin and Ryuuji straightened up.   


“Does that mean…” Ryuuji began, his eyes wide in surprise.   


“You’ll let us?!” Rin leaned forward.   


“Father!” Yukio sounded scandalized as he stepped forward.   


“I haven’t said anything yet!” Shiro lifted his hands to calm the room. “Listen to me.” He pointed at Ryuuji and Rin. “You two… As much as I’m not willing to admit it, I know you have a point.”   


“You can’t be-“ Yukio was interrupted as Shiro looked at him.   


“Listen. To. Me.” The phrase was repeated more sternly and Yukio fell silent. Shiro returned his gaze to the two in front of him. “But you have to understand that there’s merit in being careful.” The two boys nodded and Shiro continued. “As your teacher, I know that keeping secrets from your teammates is the same thing as signing a death warrant. Especially big secrets like this. Missions depend upon your trust in one another.” He frowned and looked straight at Rin. “But I’m your father before I’m your teacher.”   


Rin swallowed, slumping down just a little under his stare.   


“I know you trust them, but I need you to give me proof that they’re worth that trust,” Shiro hesitated, sighed, and took a moment before he spoke again. “If all of you pass the Meister exam together, I’ll consider you a team.”   


Though Rin slightly faltered at these words, Ryuuji immediately perked up.    


“Really?” he said before doing a double-take. “Wait, all of us?” he repeated, grimacing slightly as he thought of Renzou.    


“All of you,” Shiro confirmed. “And it has to be together. If one of you fails, the deal’s off.”   


“But that’s-!” Rin felt anxiousness eat away in his chest.   


“Collective responsibility. It’s the most I’m willing to offer to you.” Shiro looked at them. “Take it or leave it.”   


Rin looked at Ryuuji, searching for that reassurance he often found in his friend. Though there was still on uneasy grimace on Ryuuji’s face, the thin line of his lips soon grew determined. He met Rin’s eyes and nodded. Rin bit his lip for a moment but nodded in return and sat up straight.   


“We’ll do it,” he said in a steady voice.   


“Father, are you serious?” Yukio moved up at his side, hissing incredulously. “You can’t possibly think that a simple exam will ensure—“   


“The decision is made, Yukio.” Shiro looked at him and the taller teen flinched silent. He stared at his father, looked at the other two boys, and Yukio’s face twisted into a scowl before he spun on his heel and stormed out of the infirmary, slamming the door behind him. Shiro let out a heavy sigh.   


Rin stared at the door, slightly forlorn. _Yukio…_   


"Now then, do I have a vow of silence from both of you? Not to breathe a word of this to anyone until that exam is passed?"   


"Promise." Rin's voice was quiet, understanding the seriousness of the situation they were in.   


Ryuuji nodded with equal solemnity. "Me too. Thank you, Sensei," he murmured.   


"Don't thank me just yet." Shiro shook his head. "You two have got some guts that would be admirable if it wasn't so dangerous."   


Ryuuji held back a wince at those words and bowed his head. "Sorry for causing you so much trouble," he said contritely.   


"That's not your problem. All you two have to worry about is keeping your promise and studying for your exams." Shiro looked at Rin. "Your classwork and homework for today are on your desk. Get it done."   


Rin grimaced but after such a heavy conversation, he had no more energy in him left to whine.    


"Yeah, alright," he muttered. After a single nod and a smile, Shiro left the infirmary, leaving the two boys on their own.   


As soon as they were alone, Ryuuji became acutely aware that there was another apology he needed to make. He rubbed the back of his neck self-consciously before turning to face his best friend. "Rin…" Ryuuji met the other's eyes with a deep remorse that was visible in his own. "I'm sorry. About keepin' all of this from ya. I shouldn't've done that."   


Rin's hands fell into his lap and his frown turned a tad somber. He sighed. "I get why you did." He looked at his friend and pushed his shoulder against Ryuuji's. "But don't, alright? Whatever's goin' on, I wanna know. I wanna know what you're thinking. I wanna know what's troubling you. I wanna know so I can help you. Even if I'm not that smart, two heads are still better than one, right?"   


Ryuuji’s hand slowly fell back on his lap and upon hearing his best friend’s troubled voice. He had never wanted to cause this distance between them. Feeling Rin’s warm presence at his side, he was reminded of how much Rin always grounded him. He’d missed this. “You’re right,” he said with a long sigh. “I’ve been a real idiot, haven’t I?” Ryuuji’s fingers curled into his palms. He glared at back his hands in frustration. “M’sorry, Rin,” he repeated again.   


Rin let out a soft exhale through his nose and a small smile touched his lips while fondness eased his expression. He reached over and eased Ryuuji’s hands open with a gentle touch. “I forgive you. And I still trust you so don’t think I don’t, ‘kay?” He bumped his shoulder again but this time stayed there, leaning against him. A sense of resolution hardened his expression. “We got more important things to worry about now, right?”   


Looking at Rin's earnest expression made the tension in Ryuuji's chest ease. The corner of his lips twitched into a smile and he found himself matching Rin's expression.   


Now that they were both on the same page, working together once more, there was no way anything could go wrong. 

"Right."

 


	44. July 10, 2009

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year! Sorry it's been a while, but we hope you've been keeping up with the other parts of Lettersverse :) We have a surprise for you all this Friday to celebrate this story's one year anniversary, so keep an eye out for it.
> 
> Hope you enjoy this chapter!

The first couple times it happened, it was almost terrifying, but Rin was starting to get used to it. Shiro had decided that his previous warning of never opening the sword wasn't the best idea and so Rin had begun opening the Kurikara every night under the supervision of his vigilant father. The very first night, Rin had wanted to shut the sword immediately. Just seeing those blue flames licking at his skin reminded him of his lack of control. It reminded him he was the reason why Shiro's arm and stomach were covered in bandages. Neuhaus' words came back to haunt him.

He was a danger, a monster. It was clear in the way the flames licked at his skin and how his nails sharpened into claws and his teeth grew into fangs. He wanted to close the sword again but Shiro didn't let him.

"Look…" He had approached him that night and held out his hand over the blue flames. Rin had tried to flinch away, not wanting to burn his dad, but he was too slow. However, there was no burning. The blue flames had gently touched Shiro's skin and he remembered how the tension in his dad's shoulders faded.

"It… doesn't hurt…?" Rin had whispered.

"It's warm." Shiro's smile had been sure at that moment and it was then that Rin's fear began to fade.

He knew that his dad had been scared, too. He didn't know how, he just knew it. But the fact that his dad was scared just like him gave him a surprising amount of courage. Rin felt like he and his dad were walking together. Every night after that, it got easier and easier to open the sword.

That morning, Shiro told him over breakfast that they would do something different. Since he was starting to get used to the flames, now he had to learn how to use them. He was told to come home right after cram school.

"And bring Ryuuji-kun," he had said with a grin.

Though Rin tried asking his dad over and over what they were going to be doing, Shiro refused to answer. So during their first morning break, when Rin was able to pull Ryuuji away from his class, he told him how his dad had asked him to come by. Ryuuji already knew what they had been doing nightly so, luckily, he didn't need to explain much at all. Still, Ryuuji looked surprised and a little bit wary at the news. He, also, had no idea what they would be doing. Rin was still disappointed even if he expected it. Ryuuji was smart, but he couldn't read minds.

That afternoon, after cram school, the two of them headed towards the Okumura dormitory, idly chatting about the other things that had happened during the week. The newly appointed exwires hadn't had a break since they got promoted. They had been constantly assigned missions from day one. The only thing was that the missions weren't really missions at all.

"And then after I finished scrubbing all the desks, I had to wipe them with this weird smelling liquid." Rin wrinkled his nose. "It made me dizzy and I had to open up a window."

"Ugh." Ryuuji had a similar expression of disgust, which bordered on irritation. "They're just makin' us do chores for them. I had to carry some supplies to Yamaoku today, which took forever 'cause the guy I was supposed to hand them over to wasn't even there in the first place. I had to wait over an hour until he showed up."

"Augh, when are we gonna get real missions?!" Rin mussed up his own hair in frustration. "I'd rather have nothing than stuff like this!"

"Tell me about it." Ryuuji grimaced. "Tch. I ain't exactly lookin' forward to meetin' up with another demon so soon, but at this rate anythin' would be better than bein' used as an errand boy."

"I'd take another ghoul over cleaning one more desk," Rin murmured petulantly. "At least that's a little bit exciting."

"At least we're not cleaning Leaper cages, I guess..." Ryuuji reluctantly countered, recalling Konekomaru complaining about said task.

The half-demon grimaced sympathetically. "Man, why was the test so hard when all we're doing as exwires is dumb troublesome stuff? It doesn't make any sense!" He huffed and looked ahead at the approaching dormitory.

Ryuuji huffed along with him but he fell silent as they made their way past the wooden double doors. His best friend's words caused him to consider his complaints. The test _had_ been hard. Paku and Shima had gotten injured, and the accompanying troubles that had latched onto Rin had left Ryuuji feeling rattled and exhausted by the end of the week. It was the sort of stress that Ryuuji knew he needed to get accustomed to—this was the life that they'd all knowingly signed up for. Still, he had to admit that he appreciated the respite they've been given this week, even if they had been assigned menial tasks in exchange.

But that evening had other plans for them. The two ascended the stairs and Rin led the way to his bedroom. He opened the door to find his dad already there, shutting the curtains on the twin windows.

"Hey, you two." Shiro grinned towards them. He wasn't wearing his usual coat and instead stood before them in a white button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Bandages peeked out from underneath on his right arm. "How was your last class?"

"Fine," Rin replied vaguely. He furrowed his brow as his gaze found a large sack sitting by Shiro's feet. "Uh… What's that?" He pointed at it as he dropped his bag on the floor.

"This?" The priest nudged the sack with his foot. "This is why you're here. Both of you sit down on the floor facing each other and give yourselves a little room. About a meter should do it."

Ryuuji and Rin exchanged a brief glance before doing just that. The taller teen followed the request easily, falling into the cross-legged position he usually took while mediating. Rin mirrored him.

Shiro grabbed the sack and dragged it over beside Ryuuji and opened it. "Ryuuji-kun, hold out your hand. Palm up," he said as he reached into the sack. Once he'd followed the order, Shiro looked at his son with a calm smile. "Now, Rin. What I want  _you_  to do…"

A small white candle was placed in the center of Ryuuji's palm.

"Is to light the candle."

"What?!" Rin's eyes widened and his gaze switched frantically between his dad's grin, his best friend's sudden, frozen expression, and the candle that seemed to sit there expectantly.

A long moment passed. Ryuuji drew in a breath that wasn't entirely steady. He was tense—the instinctive fear he felt towards the blue flames was rising inside him against his will. But even so, he found it impossible to look away from Rin's eyes. He looked scared too.

"R-Rin. It's alright…" That wasn't what Ryuuji had wanted to say. No, he'd wanted to ask Rin's dad what he was thinking. What the point of this was. But even now, he found it difficult to question the man. Rin's voice echoed in his mind then, berating him for trusting his dad more than trusting each other. He wavered, but then Rin was speaking up again.

"N-No! I could seriously hurt you!" Visions of those flames and the destruction they'd caused to Neuhaus' ghouls flashed across Rin's mind. He didn't want to hurt Ryuuji. "Can't we at least put the candle on the floor the first couple times?!" Rin was fidgeting and clearly distressed. Meanwhile, Shiro sat down beside them, perfectly calm.

"No. That would defeat the purpose of this exercise." He leaned over towards his son and hooked a finger around the beads on his wrist, lifting Rin's hand. "You already know what you should and shouldn't burn. All you have to do now is make that conscious decision. And you." Shiro released the mala and turned his head towards Ryuuji. The tense teen stiffened further as Shiro lay his eyes on him. "You have to learn that these flames are nothing to fear. It was a change of perspective I had to go through myself and a change you'll have to go through if you want to stay by Rin's side. I wouldn't ask you to do something I haven't done myself."

"They won't… burn me?" Ryuuji blurted out, feeling hesitant and—though he hated to admit it—afraid.

"They won't." Shiro sat straight again. "How else would you explain how those mala still exist?" He looked at Rin who was fingering the beads on his wrist. "There's not a scorch mark on them because Rin didn't want to burn them. And he doesn't want to burn you. Right?"

Rin looked at his dad and nodded. His gaze rested on Ryuuji and, though his eyes still swam with fear and apprehension, there was a sheen of devotion underneath it all.

"I… don't want to hurt you, Ryuuji," Rin spoke softly and took off his sword, lying the Kurikara beside him on the floor. He swallowed down every vision that flashed before his eyes. The weight of the sword reminded him of every destructive thing he'd managed to do. And now, his dad was placing Ryuuji at the bullseye.

But Ryuuji wouldn't get hurt. Rin vowed that he would protect his friend with all he had. And if this was necessary, if this was needed…

"I know it's a lot to ask but… Do you trust me?" The young half-demon's voice was quiet. "You can say no if you want to."

Ryuuji swallowed. "'Course I trust ya," he answered, equally as quiet. He meant it, but the tension didn't leave his body easily. Not right away. The tales he had heard of the Blue Night flashed across his mind. The victims—his grandpa, Takezou, Neko's dad—had all been burned right down to their souls by those flames.

Satan's flames.

Rin would never do anything like that. Rin wasn't Satan. He was going to defeat Satan alongside Ryuuji. The memory of Rin listening to his voice amidst the thick thrall of his flame-induced disorientation sprung forth, followed next by the one of them sitting together on the infirmary bed, promising one another that they'll have each other's backs.

The tension left him and Ryuuji managed a crooked smile. There was a tendril of irrational fear that still clung to his heart, but he wilfully ignored it. He trusted Rin.

He lifted his hand, with the candle atop of his palm. Ryuuji wasn't sure when he had lowered it, but his arm was steady as he held it out in front of him. He met Rin's eyes wordlessly.

Rin swallowed and nodded.

The three of them sat there silently as Rin closed his eyes. He tried to recall that burning, that familiar heat, those whispers of flames. He felt it there. A power that had been born in him only a few short months ago. No… A power that had always been there, that had always been a part of him.

He took a deep breath and looked forward at the candle sitting in Ryuuji's hand. He did his best to force down the fear and focused on his dad's words. He wouldn't burn Ryuuji because he didn't want to. That's what his dad had said and so it must be true. It made sense. Rin swallowed again.

 _I won't burn Ryuuji. I won't burn Ryuuji._  He repeated it over and over in his mind like a mantra as he stared at the candle's wick. That… That's what he wanted to burn.

Rin held his breath and clenched his hands over his knees. Quite suddenly, the entire candle burst into bright blue flames. Rin jumped back as Shiro leaned forward, quickly batting the smoldering lump of wax out of Ryuuji's hand.

"I'm sorry!" Rin gasped, panic and concern smothering the determination from before.

"N-No, I'm fine!"

Ryuuji's heart had jolted up to his throat when the candle had burst into flames, but now, he was staring down at his unblemished hand in shock. Rin's flames hadn't burned him—no, the heat that had enveloped his hand had merely been... warm. A hot caress that slid across his palm and caused his breath to hitch in surprise. He stared down at his hand now, a little incredulous about what had just transpired. His gaze slid down to the floor where the candle had fallen to.  _That_  had melted into a shapeless lump of wax.

How?

Ryuuji closed and opened his hand experimentally before finally glancing up to meet Rin's stricken eyes. His own expression softened.

"Hey, look." He wiggled his fingers a little to show him he was fine.

Rin stared at Ryuuji's palm. It was perfectly fine. No burns to speak of.  _I… didn't hurt Ryuuji…_  The thought was accompanied by relief. Rin slumped slightly, swallowing down the fear and panic easier this time. His dad had been right. Even with such an inferno in his hand, his best friend had come out unscathed.

Shiro reached into the sack and pulled out a fresh candle, holding it out towards Ryuuji. "Didn't expect you to get it the first time, but we're doing well. Try it again." He flashed the two of them a smirk.

The teens exchanged a brief look between themselves and that was all it took to get them to back into the exercise.

"Think ya can manage to actually aim this time?" Ryuuji teased him good-naturedly as he balanced a new candle on top of his palm.

"I can aim just fine!" Rin snapped and huffed, rising to the bait easily as usual.

Shiro watched the boys with a grin as he idly peeled dried wax from his fingers.

The pattern was repeated several times. Rin would concentrate on the candle in Ryuuji's palm and either tufts of flame would appear nowhere near the candle or the candle would melt into a shapeless lump. Shiro would smack the burning candle out of Ryuuji's hand to keep the hot wax from burning him before providing him with a new candle. Every now and then, Ryuuji would flinch at the sudden burst of flames, even though he was expecting it. After they completely destroyed eleven candles, Rin took several deep breaths.

He stared at the wick for a long while, hands clenching his knees as he concentrated. By now he was starting to get a handle on the feeling of the power of his flames when they rushed out to set the candle on fire. So he had to make it smaller.

Rin's fingers dug into his pants and he released a small bit of his power. A tiny blue spark flashed on the candle's wick but it didn't light.

"You almost got it." Shiro was watching the candle intently.

"Breathe, Rin." Ryuuji was watching Rin.

Rin took one more deep breath. He wanted to look at Ryuuji, if only just for a second, but he didn't want to break the concentration he'd managed to achieve. So his gaze remained on the candle's wick.

Another spark. This one was bigger. Still, the candle didn't light. It was like he was striking a flint over and over, begging for one of those sparks to catch. Just a little bit more. Just a little bit…

Rin took a deep breath, held it, and released a small bit of his power again.

A small tongue of blue flame sparked into life and danced gently on the candle's wick. Rin's eyes widened and his jaw dropped.

"You did it!" Shiro laughed loudly.

Ryuuji shared Rin's awe, staring at the candle sitting in his palm. The flame atop it burned steadily, no longer an out of control force.

"Wow," he said.

It was the first time he had the opportunity to stare at it for so long. He didn't know what he had been expecting aside from something… something far more terrifying. It was just fire though, a fire that looked no different from any other except for its color—a blue the shade of Rin's eyes.

Ryuuji found himself remembering how warm his palm had felt earlier. It hadn't burned him then; he wondered if it would now. He didn't risk reaching out though, the fear of the consequences well-ingrained into him. But he didn't shy away from it either.

Ryuuji met Rin's eyes and echoed Shiro's words, grinning.

"You did it."

Rin's eyes slowly brightened, excitement and glee visibly bubbling up in his expression. "I did it!" He squeaked happily. "I did it! I did it!"

With a squeal, he pounced forward. Shiro managed to snatch the candle before it fell as Rin wrapped his arms around his best friend, hugging him tightly and shoving him to the floor. His tail was practically a blur as it slipped out from under his shirt to wag ecstatically.

"You're heavy," Ryuuji wheezed once he regained some of his breath. The grin on his lips didn't fade though; Rin's excitement was infectious.

The half-demon either didn't hear him or didn't bother getting up. At least not until Shiro reached down and nudged Rin's shoulder. The priest looked at the two of them and grinned.

"I'll leave you two to it then. Do it a couple more times." Shiro put the candle down and ruffled Rin's hair before standing and stepping over them. "I got a couple things to do so I'll leave it in your capable hands."

"Huh, really?" Rin propped himself up a bit on his elbows.

"By ourselves?" Ryuuji repeated, startled.

"After watching Rin light that candle, I'm sure he won't burn the dorms down." Shiro smirked from the door. "I'd say about five more candles should do. And don't forget your homework." He waved and left the room, shutting the door behind him.

Rin rose, sitting on his friend's knees. "Five more…" He glanced at the candle sitting on the floor, still with a small, burning, blue flame.

Ryuuji gave the candle a brief look of his own before settling his gaze on Rin. Their earlier nervousness returned, though it was muted by Rin's previous success. Shiro's confidence in them was reassuring.

"Well, we might as well get it over with," he pointed out. He shifted his legs slightly, which were trapped beneath Rin's weight. He gave Rin a look.

"Guess so." The half-demon looked down at his friend and smiled a bit. "Well, if I did it once, I can do it five more times, right?" He backed up off of Ryuuji's legs to his previous spot on the floor. Ryuuji sat up and reached for a candle.

"Ya better. I'd really rather not have wax runnin' down my hands."

"Well just drop it before it gets on your hand!"

The bickering didn't last long this time and they soon got back to work. It took a couple candles for Rin to get back into the feeling of his flames. After the third candle exploded into its own inferno, the flinches in the two teens lowered to barely a twitch. Ryuuji would get out the next candle as Rin closed his eyes in an attempt to keep his focus then open them again with renewed determination. It was silent, the most silence that room had ever seen with its two familiar occupants. Only the gentle breathing of flames and two teens could be heard for almost half an hour. Eventually it was homework time, which was decidedly louder than their previous activity.

Beside them, total of nineteen melted globs of hardening wax sat on the floor but, on the other side, six candles lined up, each of them with their own tiny flickering tongues of blue flames.


	45. July 14, 2009 (Morning)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! It's been a while, sorry for the wait! This chapter took us longer than usual to write, but we put a lot of hard work on it, so we hope you enjoy it! For those who are keeping up with Forever Yours we'd also like to announce that we revised the first chapter, so there's been some new stuff added to it for those who want to check it out.
> 
> Lastly, we highly recommend everyone to go check out our latest addition to Letterverse, titled: P.S. It'll have a lot of interesting backstories that didn't make it into the main fic, including more scenes from Rin and Ryuuji's childhood and their parents. There's already two chapters out and more to come in the future!
> 
> As always, thanks for reading and for all your encouraging comments! We love hearing from you. See you again next week!

When dad said they'd be skipping school for a mission, Rin hadn't expected this, and, to be quite honest, he felt cheated. They had still woken up at the same time as they would have if they were still going to regular school, and now, they were sitting in an empty train car listening to Yunokawa-sensei's lecture. Rin wanted to look out the window at the passing scenery but he was in the aisle seat and he had a sneaking suspicion that Ryuuji had done that on purpose. He tapped his eraser on the table beside his notebook and sighed slightly. His legs felt all cramped up already.

"Imps are a lesser cousin of goblins but besides their anatomy, there's not much they share in common," Yunokawa was saying. He was leaning against a table, holding onto the edge as he stood there, addressing the group of exwires that had filled two other tables in front of him. "Who can tell me one difference between imps and goblins? Ah, yes, Kamiki-san?"

"Imps don't nest together." Izumo's hand disappeared from sight, dropping back down to pick up that cute, girlish pen she liked to use, Rin presumed. He tried to make out Shiemi's face through the gaps between the seats, but all he could see was the sleeve of Yamada's bulky sweater. He wished she'd taken the aisle seat instead of Takara, whose weird puppet was peeking out the side of the corridor.

"Yes." Yunokawa nodded. "Precisely. As you all witnessed in your first day of class, goblins nest together in rather large groups, usually with a leader or alpha goblin in charge. But imps are completely different. While they're not solitary creatures, they don't have a set group archetype. Defeating one will not spook the others as we discussed with pack demons last week."

"So what's the best way to defeat them?" Shima asked, twirling his pen idly as he leaned forward with his elbows propped up on the table. Next to Rin, Ryuuji was nodding along with the question. Rin bit back a grimace and wondered when the lecture would end.

"The best and most efficient way of defeating them is to use their Fatal Verse to wipe out large numbers at a time," Yunokawa said, adjusting his glasses. "Otherwise, you'll have to defeat each individual one. This wouldn't be a problem if there were one or even just small numbers as they're fairly weak on their own but, as I said before, imps aren't solitary. They've been known to cooperate with others of their species and so, while not organized, they can sometimes be found in groups. They're fairly quick too, so an Aria is the best weapon we have against these demons."

At the corner of his eye, Rin noticed Konekomaru raising his hand. Once Yunokawa nodded in response, the short teen voiced a pressing concern. "Can they be lured in the same way as goblins? What can we do to keep them distracted?"

Yunokawa took on the smile all teachers took when it showed their students paid attention to their class. "And here is another difference between imps and goblins. Imps aren't attracted by either food or blood with the same ferocity that goblins are. In fact, they're attracted by people, activity, more than any bait we can provide," the teacher explained. "It's one of the reasons why imps are such a problem around populated areas, though they won't attack until they feel threatened. They prefer to manipulate their surroundings to do their damage rather than attack directly. So, unfortunately, once you initiate hostility, there's little you can do but to be on your toes."

Rin blinked a couple times, perking up a bit. "Wait, what kinda manipulating? Like psychic powers or something?"

Yunokawa chuckled while a quiet groan was heard from the seat over where Yukio was sitting. "Nothing so complicated, Okumura-kun. Mostly pranks. They like to knock things over and steal people's belongings. This, however, can get very troublesome since imps become more elaborate and malicious as their numbers grow."

"So basically, chant fast and hope they don't knock us out first," Shima muttered under his breath.

Yunokawa nodded. "Exactly so, Shima-kun. But that's why it's important to rely on your partners to support you. So as long as everyone does their job, things will turn out just fine."

As if that had been his cue, Shiro rose from his seat and moved to stand next to his coworker. "The place we're heading for is a mall in Sendai. There were a few earthquakes last year which caused this mall to fall apart and this past year has been spent rebuilding it. However, the construction workers happened upon an imp infestation and have been unable to continue their work since the imps keep destroying scaffoldings and stealing tools. So we're going there now to take care of every last imp."

Yunokawa took a seat as Shiro moved into the spot he had been standing in. "Luckily, the Fatal Verse for imps is pretty short so it's easily repeated. It's Psalm thirty, verse two." He cleared his throat. "O Lord my God, I have cried to you for help, and you have healed me." Shiro looked at his group of students. "All together, please repeat."

"O Lord my God, I have cried to you for help, and you have healed me," the class recited in unison. Rin muttered it the first time but as Shiro had them repeat it a second and a third time, he was able to recite it with confidence by the end.

"Remember that reciting a Fatal Verse is an act of hostility. Be aware of your surroundings and don't start chanting until you know you won't be interrupted." Shiro put his hand on the neck of the seat beside him as the train rattled and gave a small bump. "The first recitation will be the most crucial. Do your best to get rid of a large number of them before they decide to cooperate against you."

Rin fidgeted in his seat, muttering the Fatal Verse under his breath over and over, unwilling to stop lest he forget it. He immediately wrote it down in his notebook but kept whispering it. Ryuuji had told him repetition helped. Still, he felt like he needed just a bit more insurance, so when he spotted the pen Shima was still twirling restlessly, he tapped on the teen's notebook to get his attention and then pointed questioningly at the pen.

"Can I borrow that?" he asked quietly.

Shima's fingers halted. He gave Rin's pencil a brief glance, raising a curious, pink eyebrow, but he handed the pen over without protest.

"Sure."

Rin smiled gratefully and turned up the palm of his left hand. He began writing down the Fatal Verse from his wrist to his palm as Shiro spoke again.

"We'll be splitting off into teams once we get there. Each team will have an Aria and a supporting partner. Are there any questions?" Shiro smiled at them.

Ryuuji's hand rose.

"Yes?"

"How big is the mall?" The tall teen leaned across the table to get a better view of Shiro, sparing a second to glance at Rin first. Rin continued to carefully write on his hand. "Also, do ya mean we'll be splittin' off into teams of two, or more? Where will you be, sensei?"

"The mall is planned to be three floors high but due to the fact that it's still under construction, only the first floor and half of the second floor are accessible," Shiro replied as Rin slid the pen back towards Shima. "It's a still a fairly large area but once we get off the train, we'll be stopping for lunch and I'll show you guys a map that will give you more information. But I'm sure we can manage it just fine. Each team will have two people and will receive a walkie talkie and an infrared thermometer. Imps have a very high body temperature, so any area where they gather will be hotter than usual. Use this to your advantage." He then grinned. "As for me, I'll be joining you. Okumura-sensei and I will be pairing off with you all in order to have one Aria per team and cover ground more efficiently. Yunokawa-sensei will be at the central area in the mall with a walkie talkie of his own and will be handling any support if things get too dicey for any team."

"Don't try to take on more than you can handle. We're only a call away," Yunokawa reminded them from his seat as he cleaned his glasses with a small piece of cloth. "Also, don't wander off to the second floor before checking in with us."

Shiro nodded. "Defeating the imps on the first floor is ideal since the second floor is still under construction. We don't want any of you guys getting hurt. And remember to help each other. If you hear another team in distress and you're closer and open to help, let us know. But take care of your areas first. Are we all understood?"

Several heads nodded in tandem. "Yes, sensei!"

"Great!"

The mission briefing came to an end and no other lecture followed it. After a bit of idle chatter and the rustling of belongings being put away, the students began to scatter across their private car. Takara and Yamada were the first to move, tucking themselves away next to the first window seat in the back they could find. A few minutes after, Shima moved too, heading straight for Yukio after exchanging one last brief word with the group.

In the seats in front of him, Rin heard Shiemi attempt to start a conversation with Izumo. When that failed, Konekomaru slid away from his seat and moved to the table next to them, empty now that the teachers had moved to the front. He caught her attention and after she settled on the seat Takara had been using, he drew her into a discussion regarding their lecture.

Rin was tempted to join them, but he did his best to focus on his notebook. He wrote down the Fatal Verse several times, managing to cover half the page before he got utterly and completely bored.

After that, the remaining three hours in the train almost flew. Of course, part of that had to do with the fact that Rin had fallen asleep, face first on the table. He would have slept for longer than an hour if he hadn't been woken up by Ryuuji, who nudged his ribs lightly and murmured into his ear. He needed to use the restroom. Rin moved, feeling like a zombie, and then slid in the seat beside Konekomaru while Ryuuji was gone.

"What did I miss?"

He was still a little bleary-eyed, rubbing his ear absently, but he did a double-take almost as soon as the words left him. Shiemi, sitting in front of Konekomaru now, had changed her clothes.

"Oh! What happened to your kimono?" he immediately blurted out, feeling more awake. She was wearing the True Cross Academy uniform.

"Ah, um… Kimono aren't really fit for missions, so Fujimoto-sensei assigned me a uniform…" Shiemi explained with a slight blush. She glanced at Izumo who was still sitting by herself, staring out the window with a bored expression.

"Kamiki-san helped me with it…" the blonde whispered excitedly, like it was a secret.

Rin looked at Izumo, eyebrows raised in shock.

"Oh, that's, uh, good…" he said, not knowing what else he  _could_ say.

When Ryuuji returned, he found the three of them chatting over a cat-themed deck of cards—Konekomaru's. He slid into the seat in front of Rin and joined their discussion as he waited for the next round of the game they were teaching Shiemi to begin.

The train finally arrived in Sendai and they were all collected into a tight group by their teachers as they made their way through the crowded train station with Shiro leading the way. Besides the teachers, who were carrying large duffle bags over their shoulders, Rin was the only one carrying anything as he gripped the Kurikara's strap around his chest. They attracted quite a few looks but they didn't stop long enough to garner anything more than that.

About a block away from the station, there was a small Noodle House where they stopped at for lunch. They all ate with their bowls in their hands and side dishes pressed up against the corners of the map that Shiro had spread across the tabletop. It detailed the locations of the first floor of the mall. Each section was drawn off by different color markers. The entrance area was the blue section. Then there was a central courtyard which was outlined in orange. The food court was surrounded by red, an area still under construction was purple, a section of stores to the east of the map was outlined in green, and finally another section of stores in the northwest was outlined in brown. Shiro explained that each team would be sent to cover one of these sections and clear it out from imps, but it wasn't until after they got on the bus and arrived at the mall that each team was revealed.

Shiro whistled sharply as they stood at the entrance and the class fell silent, dropping the idle and nervous chatter. "Alright. Yunokawa-sensei will be heading up to the courtyard once we start," he reminded them as he let the map lay flat on the floor in front of the group. He put down the bag he'd been carrying and pulled out a walkie talkie which he handed off to his fellow teacher. "Now, each team will be responsible for their tech. We don't have extras so please take care of them." He pulled out a walkie talkie and an infrared thermometer. Rin stared at it for a moment. It looked like a weird sort of laser gun. "Each of you will also get a map from Okumura-sensei." Shiro gestured to Yukio who stood beside him with rolled up, smaller versions of the map at their feet.

"Team Blue will be Miwa-kun and Moriyama-san!"

The two teens glanced at each other at once but their initial surprise soon melted and they shared a smile before stepping forward to receive their equipment.

"Suguro-kun, you'll be going with Okumura-sensei, so come stand by here." Shiro looked at Ryuuji and nodded to Yukio, who was making a good effort of trying not to look surprised. "You two will be Team Purple."

Ryuuji blinked at the unexpected words, but he walked over to stand next to his assigned partner. Yukio was giving him a terse look as he handed him a map. Ryuuji took it, and the thermometer, silently before catching Rin's eye. A smile burst across his lips which caused Ryuuji to do the same, just as warmly.

"Team Red will be Takara-kun and Shima-kun!" Shiro continued.

Shima groaned quietly. "Great."

"Team Brown will be Okumura-kun and Kamiki-san!"

It was Rin's turn to blink in surprise. His second instinct was to hide the grimace that threatened to surface. The image of her sitting in the train, refusing to even look at them, flashed across his mind. Izumo wasn't that bad of a person... Right? Shiemi seemed to like her. Maybe this would be a good opportunity to get closer to her. He looked at Izumo who was already approaching his dad and he quickly hurried to catch up with her. Shiro held out the walkie talkie and thermometer and Rin's hand immediately gravitated for the latter, leaving Izumo to grab the former and clip it to her waist.

"Let's work hard together," Rin said, trying. He gave her a beaming smile.

"Sure." Izumo responded dully and Rin clenched his fists. He watched her accept their map from Yukio before trailing after her as she stepped back into the group.

"And finally, Yamada-kun and I will make Team Green." Shiro clipped the final walkie talkie to his belt and took the last map. "Everyone make sure your walkie talkies are on and we'll be addressing each other by name and color. So if you hear the color of your team, be sure to respond. Everyone clear?"

There was a varied chorus of affirmative answers.

"Alright, then." Yunokawa, who had been setting up barrier charms around the main entrance, looked back to address the exwires. "Everyone is familiar with how to use your equipment, yes?"

There were several nods. Rin pressed the trigger on the thermometer and watched wide-eyed as numbers appeared on the screen.

"Let's get to it then. Team Blue, start checking out the shops around here. I set up a barrier here to prevent the imps from escaping the mall. You're free to pass through it though. When you're done you can meet up with me in the courtyard. That clear?"

"Yes, sir!" Konekomaru and Shiemi nodded firmly.

"Everyone else, let's head on up to the courtyard and split up there." Shiro beamed, handing off the last thermometer to Yamada before leading the group up to the large, relatively empty area that lay at the center of the mall.

There was nothing worthy of notice in the courtyard save for the dry fountain at the center and the four large columns that stood in each far corner. Thin rays of sunlight peeked through the gaps of the tarp covering the expansive hole on the second floor, dimly lighting the area around them. The teams all split after a quick glance at their maps, each wandering off to their assigned locations, leaving Yunokawa, who was already busying himself, as he was turning on the scattered floodlights on the floor.

Without anyone else around, the mall grew very quiet. The clicks of their boots were the only noises that carried itself along the long corridor. Rin had the thermometer but after waving it around for a little while, he began to get bored. The temperature was steady in all directions which meant no imps. For their first real mission, he'd been expecting something a bit more exciting than this. The bare walls of the mall were drab enough as it was but with Izumo being completely silent, Rin's mood was dropping further and further. It was almost overbearing. He sighed heavily before glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. Maybe now would be a good time to start some sort of conversation?

They were a bit of a distance apart but they were keeping pace with each other. Izumo was looking around the empty stores lining the corridor, but she seemed as bored as Rin was. He took this as a sign, inhaled, and let out a relaxing breath.

"S… So… Uh, how's Paku doing?" Rin asked, aiming an uneasy smile towards her.

Izumo spared him a glance, but the expression on her face told Rin that she was unimpressed by his choice in topic. She went back to surveying the area with a slight scowl and a dispassionate stare.

"Hmph. Why do you care?"

Rin huffed, taken aback by her response. "Why wouldn't I care? She got hurt, didn't she?" He matched her scowl but instead of looking away, he leaned closer to her. Izumo's scowl deepened.

"If you really cared, you would know she's been fine for a while now," she said, not bothering to look at him. At least, not until she noticed him breaching her personal space.

"Do you mind?" she snapped irritably.

Rin flinched back. "Well I don't get to talk to her that often! I'm just trying to have a conversation!" he growled.

"Why?" Izumo asked bluntly.

"Why not!?" he shot back.

"Aside from the fact that we're not friends?" Izumo scoffed. "How about because _I'm not interested,_ then. Just because we're on a mission together doesn't mean I want to get all buddy-buddy with you," she told him coldly. "You should just focus on keeping an eye on that device. That is why you're here, isn't it?"

"Jeez…" Rin huffed again, trying to keep his tail still as his irritation made it twitch. "Fine. Do whatever you want. I was just trying to be nice." He lifted the thermometer again, resuming in waving it around and pointing it into each room they passed.

The overbearing silence befell them once again, though this time the awkward tension between them was replaced by a mutual amount of irritation. The two teens ignored each other as they tried to stay focused on the mission, and Izumo told herself that she didn't regret the way she had dismissed Rin's attempts at conversation.

Then, that brute's voice echoed in her head.

_"Tch. Ya really do have a shitty attitude."_

_So what,_  Izumo thought, clenching her jaw. She didn't need other people and she had made it known since day one. As long as she had Paku...

_"Kamiki-san... You weren't… your usual self today. Are you okay…?"_

She could hear that girl's words as if she was here, speaking to her, looking at her with that warm, earnest gaze. No matter what Izumo said to her, that girl was insistent in becoming her friend.

 _Why?_  Izumo didn't understand her. She didn't understand any of them. Not Shiemi. Not Rin. Not...

Izumo swallowed. She squeezed her fist for a long second, imagining Paku was there, holding it between her hands. She slowly let her fingers relax and glanced over at her companion.

"Hey, you…" Her lips pursed as she addressed him. "You're a real nosy guy, you know. You and that girl." Izumo held back a scowl. "You should learn how to gauge people better or someday you're going to get yourself into trouble."

Rin looked at her and frowned. "What are you talking about? People aren't machines. People are people and people need friends," he replied bluntly. He didn't really understand what she meant but hopefully Izumo would understand what he meant.

"Huh? A-Are you stupid or something?" Izumo was staring at Rin with an expression of disbelief. "Did you even hear a word I said?!"

Annoyed with his response, the purple-haired girl picked up her pace, leaving Rin to scramble after her.

"Tch, I don't know why I even bothered to warn you," she muttered.

"Hey!" Rin half jogged until he caught up with her again. "C'mon! What are you talking about!?" he repeated the question. "It's not like you're planning on hurting me or anything right? We're classmates and Shiemi likes you so what's the point of fighting, huh?"

" _You're the one that's making this difficult,_ " Izumo shot back through gritted teeth. Her cheeks flushed at his words, but she ignored the uncomfortable heat as she stopped in her tracks. When Rin turned to face her, she met the boy's gaze with an acerbic glare.

"Listen, there's more to people than meets the eye, that's why only fools trust others so easily." Izumo's scowl deepened and she crossed her arms in front of her chest, but the look in her eyes slowly began to shift, becoming contemplative as she eyed Rin. A thought that had been lingering in the back of her mind resurfaced then.

"But you really aren't as stupid as you look, are you? After all, you're hiding something too." The accusation was flung carelessly as a mocking smirk crossed Izumo's lips. "Do your  _friends_ know what that is or is that how little your friendship is really worth?"

Rin paled. He stared at Izumo as his scowl disappeared. Panic rushed through him immediately and back came rushing Yukio's yelling in the infirmary, about how if the wrong people found out, he could get killed. But Izumo wouldn't do that. They were classmates and sure, she was cold, but she wasn't… heartless. Right?

"Wh-What are you… What do you mean?!" Did she know? How did she know? How did she find out? He'd been so careful…! Rin was careful to control his tone but his hand was clenching tightly around the thermometer.

Izumo wasn't fooled by his display. Her eyes narrowed speculatively.

"I knew it," she said.

What, exactly, she knew, she didn't specify. Izumo merely stared at Rin for a long moment before looking away.

"Look, whatever you're hiding is none of my business, but this is exactly the point I'm trying to make. I'm not interested in becoming friends with someone I can't trust, and you shouldn't either."

Izumo clearly thought the conversation was over because she brushed past Rin then, continuing down the deserted hallway.

"Let's go."

Rin bit his lip roughly, not bothering to wince as his sharp canines dug into his skin. There was a part of him deep inside where fear was curling tight in his stomach. But a bigger part of him quickly buried it.

"Shiemi trusts you." Rin turned to watch her back, which stiffened. He frowned, his tail tight against his torso. He was extremely aware of it now but he did his best to keep it still. "She really does want to be your friend. And Shiemi is my friend so…" His eyes fell to her feet for a moment before he took a deep breath and the inhale seemed to strengthen him. "So I can't tell you the secret because I'm not supposed to yet. But until then, let's at least take care of each other." Rin strode over with purpose and shoved out his hand, offering it to her to shake. "I get why you don't want to be my friend. I don't like secrets either." He nodded. "So let's just be good classmates, alright?"

"You're absolutely unbelievable, you know!" Izumo stared at Rin's hand as if it was alien. "I'm not expecting you to tell me anything, now or ever. So don't..."

Rin's hand didn't move and Izumo's fists, along with her chest, tightened as she stared at it.

"Why are you all so insistent...!" she whispered.

"Come on." Rin shook his hand slightly. "There's no big deal in being classmates, right? That's what we're supposed to-"

_'Heeheeheehee~!'_

_'Looks looks~'_

_'Angry humans! Heeheehee!'_

Rin tensed and looked around, dropping his hand. He quickly lifted the thermometer as the giggling voices began to fade. He swung it around, spinning in a circle, until the thermometer jumped in temperature down the hallway they had come from.

"Hurry up! They're getting away!" He ran past Izumo and down the hall. "This way!"

"H-Huh? Wait! Where are you going?!"

"The imps!" Rin twisted, slowing down for a moment to look back at Izumo. "They're this way! Come on! Let's talk in the train later!"

"There's nothing to talk about!" Izumo protested as she began to chase after him.

_BLAM!_

Rin stopped in his tracks. It sounded far away but that had certainly been a gunshot. "Yukio…?" he murmured, wondering if he was alright.

_'Trouble...'_

_'Go look...'_

_'Bad humans...'_

Rin whipped his head around, trying to spot the imps but he was unable to see them, only hear them. However, the thermometer was still showing higher temperatures down the hall. "Come on. We gotta find out where they are." He looked at Izumo. "You think they're in one of these rooms or something?"

"How should I know?!" Izumo's eyes swept over the area as she stopped to regain her breath. There wasn't a single sign of activity. If it wasn't for the thermometer indicating that they weren't alone, Izumo would have thought this was this idiot's idea of a joke. "What's  _with_ you all of the sudden. You're acting as if you can-" Izumo's mouth snapped shut and she let out an irritated sound instead. "Tch. Nevermind. Give me that!" she said before snatching the thermometer out of Rin's hand.

"I'll keep an eye on this. You see if you can spot the imps anywhere. And when you do… you better remember what you're supposed to say to get rid of them!"

"O-Of course I remember!" Rin looked down at his palm to be sure the writing was still there. It was a little smudged but he could still read it perfectly well. The two of them began heading down the hall and Rin strained his ears, listening for the imps but several minutes passed before they heard anything again.

The floor shuddered beneath their feet and a loud crash filled the air. It had come from the same direction as the gunshot. Rin's eyes widened. "What was-!?"

The walkie talkie on Izumo's hip burst into life with Yunokawa's voice.  _"Purple! What was that noise!? Are you two alright?!"_

Purple… That was Ryuuji and Yukio.

"Gimme that!" Rin snatched the walkie talkie from Izumo's belt.

"Hey, wait a second!" She pushed her hand over the speaker. "Don't say anything! If you start talking, they won't be able to respond back!"

Rin grit his teeth but he moved his thumb away from the button.

_"Team Purple! Do you copy!?"_

"Come on…!" He gripped the device tightly. "Say something…!"

 _"... Yes. This is Okumura. We copy."_  Rin let out a loud exhale of relief.  _"The imps have been cleared out of the purple section. Suguro-kun and I are about to perform a final sweep."_

_"Are either of you hurt?"_

_"No. We are both perfectly fine. Thank you for your concern."_

"See? They're fine." Izumo took the walkie talkie back and placed it back on her belt. "Now let's take care of our section."

"R-Right…" Rin put his hand over his chest, willing his heart to calm. But he didn't have much time to do so.

_'Too strong...'_

_'The King!'_

_'The King is calling!'_

_'Go see the King!'_

"There it is again…" Rin looked around, wondering if he should risk reciting the verse now… Then what they were saying registered. "King…?" It clicked. "Their leader! If we can defeat their leader, then they'll leave, right!?" He grinned and ran down the hallway, following the voices.

"What are you talking about!? What leader?!" Izumo let out a frustrated groan and raced after him, grabbing his elbow and pulling him to a stop. "There is no leader! Don't you remember what Sensei said?!"

Rin's brow furrowed. The lecture came back to him at that moment and he looked forward into the hallway. Up ahead was a set of stairs which the imps were climbing. He could hear their voices up on the second floor. "But… Then what are they saying about a King?"

"A what…? What are you saying?! Talk straight!" Izumo growled.

"L-Look! I'll explain later!" Rin twisted his arm and grabbed her wrist. "But the imps are going upstairs! We gotta chase after them!"

"But Sensei said-!"

"We have to clear our section, right!? If they're going upstairs, we gotta follow!" Rin was already tugging Izumo along and she had little choice but to follow though she was quick to pull her hand out of his grip.

As they scaled the stairs, Rin was able to hear the imps more clearly.

_'The King!'_

_'The King awaits!'_

"This is a bad idea..." Izumo muttered as the two arrived to the second floor. Like the rest of the mall, this place too had little that was worthy of note aside from the various signs of construction.

"So? Where is this leader?" she asked as she scanned the area with the thermometer in her hand.

Just then something brushed past their ankles and the two of them looked down to see several imps rushing past them. They were small, dark green creatures, barely a foot tall. They giggled as they ran down a hall and Rin was quick to rush after them.

"C'mon!"

_'The King is impatient!'_

_'Come on! Come on!'_

The room they ended up in was wide and bare with a few metal beams standing where walls should be. The imps were heading towards the center, crowding around a stepladder. A few of them even climbed up the steps. But there was no imp at the top of the ladder. Instead a man sat there, with a couple of imps sitting on his shoulders, giggling. His hair, which sported a single spike that jutted out the top, was a darker shade of green than his eyes and he was wearing a long, tattered coat over an assembly of clothing that would have looked formal if it wasn't for its gaudy, mismatched colors.

"Ah, you're here!"

The man's gaze honed in on Rin the moment the half-demon stepped into view. The imps around him chittered with excitement, and the man's nails, nearly two inches long and as black as the night's sky, reached up to scratch the one on his left shoulder.

"It's about time. I was beginning to get bored, you know."

Rin felt a tremor of deep fear run down his spine. He gripped the strap of the Kurikara tightly. "Who are you?!" he shouted.

The man tilted his head. "Who? Ah, yes."

In a carefree motion, the man hopped off the ladder, landing in the middle of the crowd of imps which had parted around him.

"I'm Amaimon," he told him, "a Demon King. Kinda like your big brother. Nice to meet you."


	46. July 14, 2009 (Afternoon)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! We meant to update this last week, but this chapter was a tough one. We'll be updating UNT next week, so keep out an eye for that! 
> 
> As always, thanks for reading and for all your encouraging comments! We love hearing from you. Hope you enjoy!
> 
> \--
> 
> sneak update on 10/18/17. Can you spot the difference? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

The Demon King Amaimon gave his self-proclaimed brother a wave that seemed more like a casual salute. Next to Rin, Izumo took a step back and spluttered.

"A-Amaimon?  _That_ Amaimon?! What's a big shot like him doing  _here_?"

Amaimon's gaze shifted to look at her.

"Hmm? Who are you? You're not supposed to be here."

Izumo's mouth snapped shut as those eyes focused on her. The Demon King chewed on his thumbnail for a moment before pointing at her in a sharp motion. "Take her away."

At his command, the imps around him straightened up and turned to look at Izumo. Though they had looked like nothing more than needy kittens just seconds ago, they were now staring in the exwires' direction with a vicious, demonic intent. Rin's eyes widened.

"Izumo, run!" Rin turned and pushed her towards the hallway. "Get out of here!"

"W-What about you?!" Izumo turned her head to look at him and gasped as she saw the imps sprinting forward. "We need to go! Get rid of them!" she shouted as she ran out of the room, pulling Rin with her.

"Right!" He felt a small bout of nerves churn in his stomach. Izumo was holding the hand that had the smudged writing. No, he didn't have time to read. He would just have to remember. Rin looked back towards the small demons and the words came to him.  _Don't stutter!_

"O Lord my God!" Did he get it right so far? "I have cried to you for help, and you have healed me!"

Every imp in earshot shrieked and disappeared in a black mist. Rin's eyes brightened. "I did it!" he cried and ran faster in order to drag Izumo along instead.

"Tch." Amaimon's eyes narrowed. With his imps gone, he had no other choice than to go after them himself. He launched himself forward, catching up in two quick jumps. Before any of them could even register his proximity, he wrenched Izumo away from Rin.

"H-Hey!"

Izumo stumbled as she was pulled into the Demon King's chest, her heart racing with fear.

"That wasn't nice," he told Rin with a scolding tone that didn't match his bland expression. "How would you like it if I get rid of your friend too?"

"Izumo!" Rin gripped the Kurikara, his fingers curling around the buckle of its sleeve. "Let her go! She has nothing to do with this!"

Amaimon's eyes flicked up to where Rin's fingers were before looking down at the girl in his arms. "That's not true. She's the one who told you to get rid of my friends."

Izumo shivered as she felt a sharp nail brush against her cheek. She froze in place as it slid down to her mouth.

"Maybe I should cut out her tongue."

"LET HER GO!" Rin screamed. He had to get Amaimon away from Izumo by any means necessary. "I was the one who did it! She didn't do anything!" The sleeve slid down, revealing the sword's handle. "So come get me instead!"

Amaimon tilted his head. "Hmm." His hand fell away from Izumo's face. "Alright. Let's play! But first..." He grabbed Izumo's wrist and in one strong pull, he flung her out of the way.

"Gyaaah!"

Izumo's body went flying through the air, past the stairs, and into a room via its windowless entrance. She bounced twice across the floor, her scream going silent as she slid limply to a stop.

"IZUMO!" Rin ran towards her and fell to his knees. He grabbed her face and sighed with relief when he heard her breathe. His hand reached for the Kurikara which had fallen to the floor beside him, but his heart dropped when his fingers met air.

"Ah, so this is the Demon-Slaying sword..."

Rin whirled around to see Amaimon, just two feet behind him, dropping the sword's sleeve on the floor. He was carefully examining the scabbard.

"Hey! Give that back!" Rin lunged at him, trying to snatch the Kurikara from the demon's hands. Amaimon hopped back until he was well outside Rin's reach, taking the sword along with him.

"No, I don't wanna," the Demon King said. He eyed the sword in his hand speculatively.

_"—was that? Team Brown, is everything alright?"_

There was a crackle of static coming from the walkie talkie on Izumo's waist. Rin glanced back at it, but the urgency of the situation soon doubled.

"Well, let's see how it works."

The moment the words escaped Amaimon's lips, the sword was pulled off of its scabbard. The Kurikara's blade shone faintly for a split second before the metal burst into bright blue flames. Rin's body soon followed suit. His tail fell out from under his shirt while his ears and teeth grew.

"Give it back!" Rin snarled, feeling the power of the flames thrum under his skin. Amaimon was several feet away but Rin was loath to leave Izumo alone. He glanced back towards her again and then down to the flames on his hands. He didn't have a choice. Rin rushed after Amaimon. He would just have to keep the Demon King busy.

"Hold on a second. I'm busy right now." Amaimon jumped out of Rin's way again and sheathed the sword. The flames on Rin's body extinguished and his demonic features diminished alongside them.

"Hmm." Amaimon kept an eye on Rin as he opened and closed the sword once more. Rin snarled as he continued to chase after him but Amaimon was undaunted.

"I see," he said, more to himself than to anyone else. "So the sword is connected to Gehenna and the scabbard is the gate itself. If the sword is sheathed, the gate closes, and when it's drawn, it opens again."

The Demon King unsheathed the sword once more and his lips twisted up, just a bit, as he saw Rin's body burst into flames again. "This means that while your body exists in Assiah, your power rests in Gehenna. Interesting. Well, let's keep it like this then. It'll be funner this way!"

"Give it back NOW!" Rin leapt at him. He felt panicked and humiliated, being treated like no more than a toy by a child who was trying to figure out how it worked. And who knew what the other would do to the sword if he didn't get it back soon. It wasn't only precious to him. The Kurikara was also precious to Ryuuji's family. He had to take care of it!

"If you want it back, you're gonna have to come get it!" the demon taunted.

Amaimon evaded Rin by heading down the long hallway on the second floor. Rin ran after him without hesitation, but Amaimon was faster. He ducked into one of the unfinished stores, but by the time Rin reached it, the Demon King was nowhere to be seen. Rin's tail slashed the air agitatedly as he looked around, peering over the abandoned stepladders, the metal frames that made up the ceiling, the stark, beige walls. The Kurikara's scabbard lay in the middle of the room, abandoned.

"Where are you!?" he called out as he approached the scabbard with wary steps.

"You'll have to try harder than that to find me~!" Amaimon cajoled in a singsong voice that seemed to echo all around Rin. "Come on, catch me if you can!"

Rin growled. "This isn't funny!" he shouted, clenching his fists. With his fingers keeping a tight grip over his scabbard, he spun on his feet, looking around once more. His long ears twitched as he tried to find the source of the voice.

"Oh, that's right. I forgot to tag you." Amaimon appeared in front of Rin in a swift movement, jumping down from an uncovered vent in the ceiling. He leaned into Rin before the other could react. "Tag! You're it!" he announced as he flicked Rin's forehead.

The seemingly light touch felt like a truck crashing square into his head. He was tossed like a rag doll through the air, the breath snatched out of his lungs by the velocity.

Rin slid to a stop in the large hall, his head hanging off the edge of a huge hole in the floor. The scabbard slipped from his fingers and teetered on the edge. One look downward had Rin's heart beating as he stared into the courtyard in the floor below. The vertigo hit him and he quickly backed away, thankful that the room had been empty.

"Hey! What are you waiting for?"

Amaimon was peering over the destroyed wall with Rin's sword hanging from one shoulder. When Rin turned to look at him, the Demon King grinned tauntingly and beckoned him over.

"You  _bastard!_ " Rin snarled and launched into a run from all fours towards Amaimon. The demon didn't make much of an effort to dodge this time. He fell to the ground, enduring Rin's tackle at the same time that he prepared himself to throw the other off.

"Oh," he said as he kicked Rin in the stomach. He launched himself back up to his feet once Rin had flown over his head. "That's right. That means I'm 'it' again," he realized. The Demon-Slaying sword had fallen during their altercation, so he nudged it with his foot to send it back to his hand. It was resting over his shoulder again when he glanced at Rin, the blue flames coating the blade singeing through the fabric of his coat.

Rin was curled up on the floor, coughing as he attempted to regain his breath. His body was slowly healing the internal wounds Amaimon had caused. Rin worked himself up to his elbows and then his feet.

"Give it… Give it back!" he shouted as blood dripped from the corner of his lips. "That sword is… really important!"

"Is it?" Amaimon tilted his head to the side. "If it really was that important, why haven't you taken it back yet?" He gave the fiery sword a small, contemplative glance until an idea flashed across his eyes.

"Ah, I know! How about a race?"

Without even waiting for Rin to respond to his suggestion, Amaimon threw the sword at a slight angle. It zipped through the large corridor in seconds, disappearing from their sight as it crashed through several walls. "Come on!"

Rin gasped and bolted off towards the Kurikara. He felt his flames surge with his desperation. If he could get there before Amaimon… But the Demon King was faster than him and quickly took the lead, his tattered coat flapping behind him.  _No!_  His eyes widened and panic rushed through him. The flames around him blasted brighter and he leapt up towards him, landing on his back with his whole weight.

"Whaaa!" Amaimon stumbled and landed face first on the floor, leaving an inch-deep imprint on it. Rin took advantage of this and quickly scrambled off of him to keep chasing after his sword. Amaimon was pleased by this development, but as he dislodged himself from the ground, he saw the flaming tuft of the other's tail flick across his vision and his grin widened.

"Not so fast!" he said as he reached over and yanked Rin to him.

Rin screamed as pain flared across his entire body originating from the base of his spine. He crumpled to the floor immediately. Shivers and aching waves of discomfort kept him immobile as he stared up helplessly towards the room ahead of him where the Kurikara had landed. Amaimon caught up to it within moments.

"That wasn't smart, little brother." Amaimon dislodged the sword from a wall, causing a pile of plaster to crumble to the ground. "Honestly, are you even trying to beat me?" he asked as he balanced the hilt of the weapon on his index finger. "This isn't very fun. I hoped you'd be good for killing some time. If you're going to be boring, maybe I should just snap this thing in half."

Rin was still trembling with the aftereffects of the other's dirty move but the moment those words left the demon's mouth, his eyes widened.

"Don't!" he shouted, the blue flames rising on his skin. "Don't you dare!" He staggered to his feet, his knees still shaking, but he rushed forward nonetheless, growling.

Amaimon let the sword fall back into the palm of his hand and slammed one of his feet into the ground. The entire floor shook as a large crack split across it, but that didn't stop Rin from tackling Amaimon again. The teen grabbed the sword and tried to pry it out of his fingers but Amaimon's grip remained strong. He drove his other fist into Rin's face and Rin jerked back with a gasp, bones audibly cracking under the force of the blow. The Demon King aimed for his stomach next, and when Rin coughed a wet splatter of blood across his face, Amaimon grinned, eyes alit with more emotion than he'd shown thus far.

"Heh. Now this is more like it!"

He punched Rin twice more, watching studiously as the other's frustration rippled across his body, a sea of flames, wild and uncontrollable. The Demon King pushed his younger brother off and jumped up to his feet again, looking increasingly cheerier.

Rin was growling now, the sound rumbling deeply in his chest. The blue irises became jagged and the red of his pupils shone more prominently. He lifted up his head, panting harshly with blood dripping from his bared fangs. And then he gave a loud and angry roar. The blue flames burst forth from his body and he launched towards Amaimon with a new, feral strength.

This time, he aimed for the throat.

They crashed through the walls again, leaving a trail of sheer destruction behind, plaster crumbling off the walls, metal beams creaking under the wrong sorts of pressure. A cacophony of pure, unrepentant chaos. Rin's flames shone like a beacon around him and despite being pinned to the ground, Amaimon laughed as the other's hands tightened around his neck with a fracturing grip.

"Are you going to kill me?" he asked curiously, not the least affected by the pressure on his throat. The hand not holding onto the Kurikara rose and he grasped Rin's neck one-handedly, holding it just as hard. "Brother said I wasn't allowed to do that."

Rin snarled and clawed at Amaimon's arm before grabbing on to his wrist. The blue flames surged and enveloped them both, burning Amaimon's flesh. The Demon King didn't show any sign of pain except for a narrowing of his eyes. His grip tightened around Rin's neck, long nails piercing through the skin which immediately tried to heal.

They reached an impasse. Rin hissed and continued to struggle, losing his breath little by little while Amaimon's flesh blistered and peeled away under the unforgiving heat of the blue flames. Neither was willing to relent, so it was only a matter of waiting to see who would pass out first. Amaimon was considering delivering another punch to the other's face, but his ears twitched as he caught the approaching sound of hurried footsteps. A rush of excitement danced up his spine at once.

"Rin!"

The Demon King turned to look at the door just in time to hear the loud, ringing sound of a gun being fired. Without thinking about it, he shoved Rin aside, sending him towards the backside of the room. The bullet barely grazed him, imbedding itself in the space where Amaimon's head had been resting.

"You…? Who are you?"

Amaimon frowned, visibly disappointed by the figure standing in the doorway.

"Get away from Rin!" Ryuuji growled, pointing the pistol in his hands straight at Amaimon's face.

Rin emerged from the rubble, growling deeply. He looked up at the new figure in the room but something told him that despite the weapon in their hands, this person held no threat to him. So he launched himself again at Amaimon with nothing else driving him other than the urge to kill.

"R-Rin?"

Ryuuji's aim faltered and then fell away completely as Rin got within the barrel's sight. He stared wide-eyed at his best friend, at the snarling, bristling stranger that seemed to have taken over his body. He spared little attention to Amaimon who was still staring straight at him, even as he spun on his feet and kicked Rin out of the way.

"I said... who are you?"

Amaimon was pointing the Kurikara at Ryuuji now. The sight of the sword, engulfed in the same flames that covered Rin's body, shifted Ryuuji's focus.

"Why do ya have that?" he asked tersely, clenching his jaw as he pointed the gun at Amaimon again. "Drop it!"

"You're an eyesore," Amaimon told him flatly, unimpressed by his threat. "Scram."

Ryuuji growled. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Rin pushing another pile of rubble aside as he stumbled back up to his feet. "You're the eyesore!" he snapped. "Now drop the sword!"

The Demon King made no move to do so, merely opened his mouth to speak again, so Ryuuji pulled the trigger without warning or hesitation. The explosion was just as loud as it was the first time, just as fast, but Amaimon simply snatched the bullet out of the air, grasping it with the tips of his nails as if it had been rushing at him in slow motion.

"I don't want to play with you," Amaimon told him, frowning. There was an undercurrent of irritation in his tone. "Go away."

Ryuuji felt himself tense. Fear curled in his stomach as the realization of how powerless he was hit him. His finger trembled on the trigger as he wondered what he should do next, how he should move. His mind could barely process the thought before it was registering a myriad of other things: a thin, whistling sound, followed by a louder crack; a pinprick of pain spreading across the top of his right earlobe; his heartbeat skipping, mouth gasping.

Amaimon had flicked the bullet back at him and it was now imbedded in the wall behind him, having missed his head by a mere centimeter.

 _I almost died,_ Ryuuji thought in a somewhat disconnected manner. He stared at Amaimon wide-eyed, unable to utter a word.

The silence didn't linger for long, hanging in the air for only a second before Rin rushed forward once more with a roar. He looked even more beat up and bloodied now but that didn't seem to deter him in the least. Instead, he looked more motivated, more feral; had they been alone, Amaimon would've given him his full attention and continued their game. The intruder was still here, however, so the Demon King simply stepped aside, holding out his left arm to snatch a fistful of Rin's hair as he passed him.

_CRACK!_

Amaimon slammed his younger brother into the floor. Rin went down hard and the ground beneath him splintered with the impact. Ryuuji's shocked stupor broke just as abruptly and he took a step forward, snarling in protest.

"Leave him alone!"

Amaimon briefly ignored the intruder to glance down at Rin who was, despite his injuries, beginning to rise again. Amaimon placed his boot on Rin's back and shoved him back on the floor, which gave another ominous  _crack._

"Stay down, little brother. I have to take care of your friend first," he told him.

Rin didn't listen, of course, so Amaimon tilted his head in a contemplative manner before nodding decisively. With both of his hands grasping the hilt of the sword, the Demon King thrust the blade down Rin's back, piercing right through the muscle just inches below his shoulder blade and pinning him to the ground. A much-too-human screech of pain escaped Rin's throat, echoing throughout the room.

"RIN!" Ryuuji shouted. The gun in his hand fired without any input from his brain, five consecutive shots that didn't faze the Demon King in the slightest. Amaimon slapped the bullets aside before they even reached his chest, and in the next second, he was leaping forward and shoving Ryuuji into the floor. A choked sound escaped the tall teenager as Amaimon's fingers wrapped around his throat.

 _"B-Bastard!"_ he croaked.

Rin clawed at the floor, unable to move due to the sword embedded into the floor. But despite all that pain, there was a single glimmer of thought. The mala on his wrist shifted gently among the flames.

"Rrr... Ryu...uji..."

Rin reached back over his shoulder, grabbing the blade and attempting to pull it from his back but the position he was in provided no leverage to do so. Blood bubbled up his throat and he coughed out a splatter but he paid it no attention. Ryuuji was in trouble. He had to get out. He had to get Amaimon off!

He whipped his arm out on a blind, desperate instinct and his flames followed in a large, tight ball. They crashed into Amaimon like a solid mass and the Demon King was tossed off Ryuuji and through the wall, back into the vast hallway.

The room trembled. The frames supporting the walls had suffered too much damage, were still creaking unsteadily, through the sound was much more noticeable now.

Ryuuji was taking huge, gulping breaths as he shakily rose on his elbows, adrenaline flooding his body from head to toe. The ache left by Amaimon's grip felt muted as his eyes met Rin's, which looked a little less wild, more  _him_.

"Rin," he whispered.

"Ryuuji…" Rin panted harshly and gathered his elbows underneath him. He cried out as he pushed himself up on the blade to get himself closer to the handle. "Ryuuji... " He looked towards him again. "You… You gotta run!" He waved his arm towards him, insistent. "Get outta here!"

"Are ya kiddin' me?" Ryuuji sat up with a grunt, absently rubbing at his neck. His eyes were trained on the pained expression etched on Rin's face. "Hold up. I'm gonna get ya outta here too."

"No!" Rin had his palms pressed into the floor now, his body shaking. He was aware now of the holes in his memory, of how he'd blacked out again. The flames were still wild around him and he didn't know if he had the strength to keep control anymore. "Just run!" he shouted pleadingly. Surely it was only a matter of time before he lost control again.

Ryuuji let out a very angry  _tch_. "If ya think I'm gonna leave ya," he began, feet pressing against the unsteady floor, nostrils flaring. A large chunk of the ceiling fell into the floor without warning, close enough to Rin to make them both jolt in shock.

"Shit. Rin!"

He took off then, barely feeling the floor beneath his feet as he closed the distance between him and his best friend. He got a solid grip on the Kurikara's hilt and immediately tugged it up, feeling it give. He hissed a quiet sorry as Rin bit back a whimper and tried not to look at the blood pooling beneath him, at the flames licking at his heels. They weren't gonna burn him. They weren't burning him.

The floor trembled again. Another chunk of the ceiling fell somewhere behind them. Ryuuji looked up and through both the crumbling hole in the wall and the doorway next to it, he spotted Amaimon in the distance, staring straight at them with a hooded look that unsettled Ryuuji to the core.

" _Shit._ " The sword was out. Rin was free. "We gotta go!" he hissed.

Rin held a hand over the wound on his chest and hacked one more splatter of blood before he made it to his feet. He took the sword in his own hand and stood in front of Ryuuji. "Stay behind me…" he muttered. Rin pounded a fist against his chest, growling and shaking away the dizziness.  _Come on! Heal already!_  It was healing, but much too slowly. The wound was big. It would surely take a minute.

But they didn't have a minute. Rin decided to ignore it and gripped the Kurikara with two hands. "Come on!" he shouted and ran forward. This time, with a weapon.

They made it out of the room just before doorway collapsed on itself. Ryuuji saw the gun he'd dropped earlier and reached down to grab it as they ran past. Amaimon was running towards them. Rin blocked his initial lunge with his sword and as he pushed him back, Ryuuji shot at him. The bullet pierced through his left leg before he landed, but Amaimon gave no sign that he was affected. His balance was steady and his gaze was solely on Rin. Ryuuji shot again. This time it bit through his cheekbone, just under his right eye.

He had his attention now.

"You're in the way, but I'm not allowed to kill you." Amaimon said it like it was a mantra and those were the only words he uttered before he was ducking under Rin's sword. Rin veered to his left, spinning on his heel. Ryuuji took a stumbling step back. Amaimon had his hand on Ryuuji's shirt before either of them could blink and then he was spinning too. Ryuuji didn't realize he'd been flung until he was already flying across the hallway and falling in the direction of the gaping hole on the floor that led into courtyard.

Rin didn't even think. He didn't waste a single breath before rushing after him. He jumped, releasing his sword in order to grab Ryuuji around his torso and hold him tight. Rin twisted them in the air just in time. They fell down onto a pile of rubble at the center of the courtyard, and he broke Ryuuji's fall with a grunt, landing on his back with his friend safely on top of him.

"Ughhh…"

The two laid in a pained daze and tried to catch their breaths. Ryuuji's mind was contemplating for the second time that day that he had nearly died, or at the very least, nearly gained some serious injuries. As it was, all he was right now was very achy, very warm, and very much  _alive._ As was Rin, whose heartbeat was stuttering under his ear. Ryuuji let out a pained groan as he pulled himself off of Rin's chest to look at him, leaning his weight on his elbows which were being uncomfortably poked by several sharp pieces of stone. Blood dripped from the wound on his ear onto Rin's already blood-soaked shirt, but the two of them paid it no mind.

Instead, they breathed in. Two pairs of eyes scanned over each other, searching for signs of life in either one. The gazes caught one another. They exhaled with relief.

Rin's eyes snapped to movement over Ryuuji's shoulder and he pushed his friend off of him immediately. He didn't watch the bulky teen roll down the rubble. He caught the Demon King's wrist instead, just inches before his long nails embedded themselves into Rin's throat. Barely a second passed before Amaimon's head was jerked forward. A glint of steel pressed against his scalp and a tall figure stood over the two of them.

"Off," Shiro snarled with his revolver shoved against Amaimon's skull.

Amaimon stilled. His eyes slowly narrowed as he glanced up to meet Shiro's heated glare.

"It's you," the Demon King murmured.

Shiro wordlessly pulled back the hammer on the revolver. The very air seemed to freeze with that small double click.

Amaimon hesitated. There was a hungry flash of excitement flickering behind those green eyes but the emotion was gone within the same breath, dulled behind his usual dispassionate expression.

In the next second, Amaimon had detached himself from Rin, landing on the ledge of the second floor with a back flip. He stared down at the courtyard in silence, his eyes taking in the view before quickly flicking back to Shiro, then Rin.

"Ah, screw it. I guess I'll stop here," he said, holding Rin's gaze. He seemed to be ignoring Shiro's presence. "I'll come see you again, so until then..." He left those as his parting words before escaping in a quick jump, slipping through the gaps in the ceiling where the tarp covering it had come loose.

"Amaimon!" Shiro barked as Rin slumped backwards into the rubble. The exhaustion settled into his bones and he barely heard his dad uttering a curse. His flames suddenly snuffed out and he looked around to see the older man heading towards him with the Kurikara sheathed in his hand.

"Can you stand?" he asked as he crouched down in front of Rin. His voice was softer now, more familiar. Rin nodded immediately and rolled over to his elbows.

"Rin..." Ryuuji's quiet voice immediately drew his attention. He was standing at the base of the mountain of rubble, staring at Rin with a relieved expression as he absently rubbed his left shoulder.

"Ryuuji! Are you okay?" Rin felt strength return to him as he scrambled to his feet. He took back the Kurikara from his dad and hurried down the pile to get to his friend.

Ryuuji immediately stepped closer, meeting him halfway. "Are  _you_ okay?" he shot back, sounding just as worried as he reached out to touch Rin's shoulder.

A vague part of Rin wondered if he should allow Ryuuji to touch him. He was still aware of the holes in his memories and the only things he could remember were flashes of fire and rage. But Ryuuji already touched him so many times, stood unharmed in the fire that had burst from his body, that the hand on his shoulder was a welcome one. A comforting warmth. Although that didn't make the concern fade away.

"I can heal way faster than you can," Rin shot back with a growl. "Why didn't you run when I told you, huh? You could've gotten really hurt!"

Ryuuji stiffened. His earlier anger came back at full force.

 _And leave ya behind?_ He gave Rin an incredulous look, furious that the other would even think of suggesting that.

"Yer shittin' me."

A strange voice caused both boys to tense. Rin was surprised when the source of the voice was just a little off to the left. He hadn't noticed her at all. There was a scantily clad woman with vibrant red hair standing a few feet away from them, staring at them like they were aliens. She turned to look at his dad with an expression of disbelief. "Ye've completely gone off yer rocket. Shiro, what the hell?"

"Wh-Who the hell are you!?" Rin shouted in shock as Shiro stepped down from the pile of rubble behind him.

"This is Shura." His dad responded before she did. "Kirigakure Shura. She's my apprentice."

Rin's eyes bulged in shock and he looked between the two of them. "Huh?! Really?!" His apprentice? Before he could voice his question, Shiro interrupted him.

"Shura." His dad was speaking politely and Rin recognized the voice from their days back in the monastery. "This is Okumura Rin, Yukio's brother and my son. His friend is Suguro Ryuuji-kun. They're both students of mine in the cram school."

"I know damn well who they are." The woman scowled. Her gaze darted towards the teens and the wary look she spared Rin was one that he was more than familiar with. Rin kept his eye on the woman as she took a moment to compose herself. "Well," she began with a patient tone, focusing her attention on Shiro again, "can't say I was expectin' this. Ye've really gotten yerself involved with some shit this time, haven't ya, Shiro?"

"It's had its ups and downs," Shiro replied casually as he put the revolver away in its harness. Though, when he took his hand out of his coat, it was with a slip of paper stuck between his fingers.

Shura glared at him. "This is givin' me a headache," she grumbled. She eyed Shiro's hand and tightened her grip on the hilt of her sword—a large blade that shrunk within moments. Rin's jaw dropped slightly as he stared at it in surprise, so only Ryuuji was watching Shiro as he swiped his blood across the small paper and summoned Tamiko.

_'Yes, Shiro?'_

"I need you to go sniff out a black hoodie." He crouched down in front of her and pointed off towards the east wing. "It should be a little ways down there and it smells like her." Shiro nodded towards Shura.

Tamiko turned and her eyes lit up in recognition.  _'Hello, Shura!'_  she purred as she trotted over to her and sniffed her pants.

Shura stood stiffly though the grip on her sword loosened slightly. She allowed Tamiko to sniff her without a word and once the cat sith had leapt away, she let out a quiet breath, releasing the remaining tension in her body. She lifted her arm then and the teens watching her were instantly alarmed as they saw her point her sword to the spot right above her chest, pressing the tip of it to the red tattoo she had there. Rin was about to step forward when the tattoo glowed as she muttered under her breath again. He watched wide-eyed as the blade slowly sunk into her body, disappearing from sight without a single drop of blood. His hand immediately latched onto Ryuuji's sleeve and gave a tug, pulling him closer.

"Did you see that?!" he hissed into his ear, his eyes brimming with wonder.

Ryuuji nodded, filled with the same sense of awe. "How…?"

The awe faded the moment Shura glanced up again. The way she was staring at Rin… Ryuuji's breath caught as he realized she must've  _seen._ His fears were confirmed when she spoke next.

"Alright. This day's been gettin' more and more insane by the second. Shiro, this ain't somethin' I can just let ya can wave away easily, so ya better start explainin' what's goin' on.  _Now_."

Shiro looked at them and Rin didn't like the look in the old man's eyes. He couldn't really pin it down, but something about it worried him deeply.

"This sword used to have a seal on it," he explained, gesturing to the Kurikara as he looked back towards Shura. "I'm pretty sure you know by now what he is." Rin bit his lip and glanced up towards Ryuuji, his hold tightening on his sleeve. "We were doing a pretty good job of keeping his demon side under wraps," his dad continued. "But on March 31st, Ryuuji-kun came over and the two of them were attacked. The seal was broken and Satan was finally able to zero in on us.

"That was when he tried to possess me."

"What?!" Rin's eyes widened and he stared at his dad in disbelief. Had he heard wrong? Satan had tried to possess him? But why? How? For what reason? His fingers hurt as he gripped Ryuuji's sleeve in his fist. Ryuuji stared at Shiro with an equal amount of shock. 

Shura, on the other hand, nodded slowly. Her facial expression was calm and pensive. "And that's why he..."

"Yes." Shiro's voice was clipped short. There was something akin to a fierce warning in his eyes but Shura didn't seem affected.

"How do I know yer not jus' tryin' to protect the kid?" The redhead said, narrowing her eyes right back at him.

"Shura." Shiro's voice hung in the air in a way that made Rin uncomfortable. "It wasn't him. He was with Ryuuji-kun the entire time and after that, he was on campus." He met his dad's eyes briefly but it was gone again before he could figure out what that gaze meant. "I'll answer questions as much as I can but I can't tell you everything. You're just going to have to trust me."

A scoff that almost sounded like an incredulous laugh left Shura's lips. "So we're going with  _that_ line again, are we? You could afford to be a little bit more original, old man." She crossed her arms under her chest.

Shiro lifted his arms in a gesture of helplessness. "What do you want me to say, Shura? I'm telling you the truth and you don't want to believe me!" His voice was rising in volume as he pointed at Rin and Ryuuji. "Do you really think that they- that  _he_ is capable of that?"

"Dad, what-" Rin began but the voice shriveled up in his throat as the pointed finger changed to an open palm.  _Wait._ He felt his jaw ache as he clenched his teeth in an effort to listen.

"So yer tellin' me this was all just, what? Satan poppin' by for a fatherly visit? After all these years? Why wait 'til now? How do I really know ya ain't lyin' to me again?"

"But... he's tellin' the truth!" Ryuuji spoke up, wincing as Shiro's eyes turned on him, but he pressed on. "Rin and I were in Sir Pheles' office that day. We-"

"Now, now, the adults are talkin'. Kiddies should just stay quiet." Shura's gaze hadn't moved from Shiro's face.

"Hey!" Rin snapped. He felt his own frustration rise as Ryuuji was dismissed. The two of them were ignoring them, talking as if they weren't there!

"Rin…" At least his dad was looking at him now, a warning in his eyes. Rin ignored it.

"No! Shut up, old man!" he growled before turning his attention to the woman who was now looking at him with mild amusement. "You should listen when people are trying to talk, you know?!" he shouted, pointing at her with his sword hand. "Don't tie me up with Satan just because I'm his son! I'm not him, ya hear?! And I'll kick his ass the next time I lay my eyes on him!" Rin snarled, stomping his foot forward but not removing his vice-like grip from Ryuuji's sleeve.

"Oh?" The redhead raised one of her eyebrows and smirked derisively. "Yer talkin' pretty big for a kid who has no clue about what's goin' on. I would've thought ye'd be more keen to shut yer traps and listen in." She cocked her head towards Shiro. "Considering what I've heard, I imagine this old coot hasn't been keepin' ya in the loop either."

"You're right! I don't know what's going on!" Rin replied honestly. "But I know the truth! Ryuuji and the old man aren't lying! I didn't hurt anyone and I'll prove it any way I can!"

The woman stared at him. Rin stared back at her without faltering, raising his chin. Shura pressed her lips together and glanced at Shiro.

 _Does she believe us?_ Ryuuji wondered, staring between them as a knot of unease tightened in his stomach.

There was a beat of silence, but it was broken by the sound of a muffled snicker. To Ryuuji's surprise, the sound was coming from Shura herself.

"Oooh, boy. Ya were right, Shiro," she said in between snickers. "This kid's a real laugh!"

Rin bristled immediately, but that only seemed to amuse her more.

"Don't get so ahead of yerself, kiddo," she told him, making a good attempt to hold back her laughter. "There's a lot more goin' on here than ya realize."

The anger died away only slightly, giving way to curiosity and confusion. Rin looked at Ryuuji for answers but it seemed that his best friend was as confused as he was.

"Yer dad," Shura looked back towards Shiro, "has a lot to answer for, yanno. He might not be lyin' about this, but he has been keepin' an awful lotta secrets. Care to share with the class, Shiro?"

Shiro glared towards Shura and stepped into her space. He leaned in and began whispering to her. Rin and Ryuuji watched as she whispered back and even went so far to stick out her tongue at him. Shiro didn't look amused. The hushed conversation continued and no matter how hard the two of them tried to listen in, they weren't able to make out any words.

"Hey!" Rin called out, furrowing his brow. "What are you talking about?!" He took a step towards them, intent on interrupting them, but his next step was met with resistance. Ryuuji held him back, grabbing onto the wrist that was still clinging to his sleeve.

"Rin, wait," Ryuuji hissed. He looked worried.

"What? Why?!" Rin's brow furrowed but he stayed still.

Ryuuji's eyes lingered on the red-haired woman. That serious expression on her face caused his fingers to tighten around Rin. "Wait," he insisted in a hushed whisper.

Rin clenched his jaw and gripped his best friend's sleeve in his fist but the hand on his wrist kept him still. He looked towards the two adults, glaring at them and trying again to figure out what they were saying. It was impossible. They were moving their mouths too minutely to make anything out and their words didn't carry over well with the creaking of the half-built mall and occasional patter of falling rubble disrupting the silence.

"Stop leaving us out of it!" Rin growled in frustration. "What's going on?!"

Finally, there was a response.

"Relax, Rin." Shiro turned to them and took a few short steps back, out of Shura's space. "It's just Vatican business."

"Vatican business?" Rin looked between the two of them, his hold on Ryuuji's sleeve loosening, though Ryuuji didn't let go of his wrist. "Is everything gonna be alright?"

"I think so." Shiro smiled reassuringly and ruffled his hair. Rin let out a sound of protest and pushed at Shiro's hand, shifting closer to Ryuuji whose tense demeanor faltered at the lighthearted, familial display.

Shiro glanced back at Shura. "What do you think?" he asked her. "Is everything gonna be alright?" His words sounded loaded with more meaning than what was there at face value.

Shura let out a quiet huff. Much to the teens' surprise, any trace of her previous serious expression was gone. "Yeah, yeah. We're good," she grumbled, waving him off. "I'll take care of things on my end without raisin' any flags. For now."

"Sounds like a plan." Shiro nodded. With that settled, he grabbed the walkie talkie from his belt and held it up to his mouth. "Yunokawa, the mall is clear and Okumura-kun and Suguro-kun are safe. We'll be heading towards you now."

The response came almost immediately.

 _"Ah, Fujimoto! Thank God. I was beginning to worry. We'll be waiting for you."_ Yunokawa's voice sounded almost breathless. Rin suddenly felt bad as he remembered the others. He wondered if they knew what had happened and if they were worried.

"Let's go." Shiro looked at the three of them before heading towards the exit of the mall. Rin gave Shura a hesitant look but he quickly shook his head. His dad trusted her. She was his apprentice. Everything would be just fine. Dad had said so himself.

 _'Shiro!'_  Before they got to the entrance hall, there was a light tremor that ran under their feet. A huge Tamiko trotted into the hall with a dark gray bundle in her mouth.

"Ah! Just in time." Shiro beamed and took the hoodie as Tamiko shrunk back to normal size. "Thanks, Tamiko. When we get back, let's have some sake with Kuro, alright?"

 _'Yes! That sounds great!'_  Tamiko meowed happily before Shiro put the hoodie under his arm and tore the bloodied paper. The cat sith disappeared with a puff of smoke.

"Rin, take off that shirt." Shiro unfolded the hoodie as Rin looked down and realized just then how bloody he actually was.

"Oh. Right." He let go of Ryuuji's sleeve and peeled the shirt off. Shiro took the shirt and used the more clean parts to clean the blood from Rin's face. Rin didn't appreciate this and scrunched up his nose before batting his dad away and snatching the hoodie.

Shura smirked slyly. "Aw, ya gonna hold his hand too?"

"Why, are you jealous?" Shiro gave her a mock pout as Rin pulled the hoodie over his head, still grumbling.

Shura huffed. "Jerk." She gestured at the hoodie with a lazy flick of her wrist, catching Rin's attention. "Hey. Ya better wash that before returnin' it to me, got that, twerp?"

"Of course I'm gonna wash it!" Rin growled incredulously as he stretched the back of the hoodie out. His tail slipped itself into the opening and wrapped around his torso as he adjusted the garment around him. "Jeez, I'm not inconsiderate!"

Ryuuji had been about to back him up when he realized something. "Hey! Ya still haven't given me back  _my_ vest," he complained.

Rin began fiddling with the hem of the hoodie and looked away. "Really? I don't remember having it…"

"It's in your room!"

The matter still hadn't been settled when they exited the mall. The very second they walked out the door, however, Yukio rushed over to them.

"Nii-san!"

Yukio's coat was missing and his belt was hanging off his pants. When he looked over Rin, his shoulders seemed to relax. "Thank God you're alright. And Ryuuji-kun, what happened to you?" He turned to look at the taller teen, eyeing the drying blood on his ear with concern. He shook his head before he could receive a response and began reaching into the pouches on his belt. "Never mind. Tell me later. Take off your earrings, please."

Ryuuji was quickly ushered into a nearby bench and as Yukio tended to his ear, Konekomaru simultaneously interrogated and fretted over Ryuuji. "Bon! What were you thinking, going off on your own like that? And are you okay, Rin-kun?"

"Ya really don't have luck with demons, do ya, man?" Shima added, offering Rin a sympathetic smile as he hovered at Yukio's side.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm okay!" Rin waved off the two of them, thankful of his quick healing.

"Well, at least one of you is." Konekomaru looked at Ryuuji worriedly, who grimaced at the attention.

"It's just a scratch," he protested, keeping still as Yukio wiped the wound clean.

"More like a new piercing," Shima pointed out, glancing at the injury with a slight wince. "Speaking of looks, what's with the hoodie?"

Ryuuji opened his mouth to answer but Konekomaru beat him to it.

"That's Yamada-kun's, isn't it?" The shorter teen glanced over his shoulder to where the adults were standing around. "Who's… not actually Yamada-kun, I guess."

Shima did a doubletake as he followed his gaze. "Wait,  _that's_ Yamada? No way! How can you tell?"

"She's wearing the school's uniform pants. And she's missing a hoodie."

Shima glanced at Rin briefly before looking back at the woman that was speaking with their teachers. He was completely impressed. "How did she manage to hide  _those_ under that?!"

Rin, on the other hand, was looking for someone else. "Hey, where's Shiemi?" The blonde girl was nowhere to be seen and neither was... Rin gasped. "And Izumo! Where's Izumo!? Is she alright?!" he asked urgently, looking at the others.

"Rin!" Shiemi's voice drew the boys' attention. She was rushing towards them now as if Rin's words had summoned her. "Rin! Are you okay?" He nodded as she looked over him quickly, but her eyes widened as she spotted Yukio bandaging Ryuuji's ear.

Ryuuji was quick to reassure her. "We're alright. How's Kamiki?" he asked, surmising she had been with the other girl.

"Ah, Kamiki-san is fine!" Shiemi seemed relieved at her own words. "She woke up a little while ago, but Yunokawa-sensei doesn't want her walking around yet."

"Ah, thank goodness!" Rin breathed out as Yukio stood straight.

"There you are, Ryuuji-kun. Don't pick at it and leave your earrings out for a day while it heals," Yukio said as he tucked his things back into the pouches on his belt.

"Thanks." Ryuuji offered Yukio a slight smile which he returned.

"I'll go check on Kamiki-san." Yukio looked at the rest of the group. "The bus should be arriving soon so try and relax here until then, alright?" The group made a collective sound of agreement but when Yukio headed off, it didn't take very long for Shima to trail after him.

"There they go." Rin let his hands rest in the hoodie's pockets as he sat down beside Ryuuji. "Those two are pretty attached lately, huh?"

"Yeah." Ryuuji lightly fingered the bandage on his ear before letting his hand rest on his knee. His elbow bumped against Rin's arm as he nodded. "Never took Shima to be the hoverin' type," he said as he watched the pink-haired teen gravitate to Yukio's side, "but he can't seem to let your brother out of his sight these days."

A small sound escaped Konekomaru just then, drawing the others' attention to him.

"Hm? What's wrong, Miwa-kun?" Shiemi tilted her head.

Rin and Ryuuji turned to look at their friend in unison, but the exasperated look on Konekomaru's face faded by then. "It's nothing." He pushed up his glasses and shook his head. The group stared at him in confusion for a few moments, but the shorter teen distracted them by switching the subject.

"What even happened to your ear anyway?"

Ryuuji hesitated, but it wasn't hard to come up with a good cover story this time considering they had been on a mission. Ryuuji and Rin carefully avoided giving any details regarding their meeting with Amaimon and at the first opportunity they got, they turned the tables on their friends and Shiemi and Konekomaru ended up recounting their experiences with the imps until the bus arrived.

They all boarded with relief. Most of them felt safer in the bus, but Rin was unable to fully release the tension from his chest. Izumo was laying down towards the back, irritably snapping at anyone who showed any bit of concern. Rin sighed slightly, glad that she was alright enough to do that. He sat beside Ryuuji, looking out the window at the passing cityscape.

_"It's just Vatican business."_

_"I'll take care of things on my end without raisin' any flags. For now."_

_What did they mean by that?_  Rin frowned at his own reflection in the glass. The trip back felt like it would definitely be longer than before but Rin was as anxious as ever to return home. He glanced upwards towards the front of the bus and his eyes wandered to the group of adults. He caught a glimpse of Shura's studying gaze before she turned away to speak to Shiro. Rin furrowed his brow and felt his tail curl tighter around his chest.

_What's going to happen now?_


End file.
